


girl you look delicious (oh i mean gorgeous)

by keep_swinging



Category: Z-O-M-B-I-E-S (2018)
Genre: All You Need to Know is That It's All About Zed and Addison, F/M, One Shot Collection, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance All Around, So I'm Not Going to Tag It All, There's Going to Be So Much In This
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-26
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2019-03-24 06:21:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 25,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13805283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keep_swinging/pseuds/keep_swinging
Summary: One-shot series revolving around Zed and Addison.Sporadic updates, one-shots will have varying lengths from drabbles to longer stories. Rating may (and probably will) change as story progresses. Prompts and ideas welcomed!// In-Progress; Zed/Addison.





	1. React

**Author's Note:**

> Alright guys, finally getting this posted over here!  
> I want this series to be accessible to everybody and I know some people favor Ao3 over FF.Net and that there is not a whole bunch of stories for Zombies out here so I'm hoping to fix that! 
> 
> A few notes:  
> -Prompts and ideas are more than welcomed!  
> -All one-shots are unrelated to each other unless stated otherwise.  
> -All one-shots will be kept under 4,000 words and at the most be around 4,000 words.  
> -Since ratings are different over here than on FF, I'm going to use G, PG, PG-13, etc. ratings for this.
> 
> Please feel free to leave some comments or kudos if you enjoyed!  
> [Story Originally Published February 20th, 2018.]
> 
> Special Thanks to Guest over on FF for this prompt.  
> Prompt:  
> This was awesome! I'd love to see more. Did they manage to fix Zed's Z-Band? Or has he just figured out how to maintain control without it working? I'd love to see more of Zed's thoughts on gaining and maintaining control of himself not only around those he loves, but also others!  
> Notes:  
> Semi-sequel to a girl and a zombie
> 
> Genre: Romance and small doses of Hurt/Comfort  
> Rating: G

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's not easy controlling it at first.  
> It gets easier with time.

**React**

 

Controlling himself is not the hardest thing Zed's ever had to do in his life. No, that title goes to trying to play it cool around the girl of his dreams during his first week of high school. Controlling himself is the second hardest thing he's ever had to do in his life though and even after Addison and him tell her father about it malfunctioning, his Z-Band still acts up after the scientists mess with it.

The electric pulses that emitted from it before were no longer soothing, and his wrist was swelling up like a balloon. Zed can feel the zombie side of him gnawing at his insides, clawing and seething and begging to be let free. It's not a pleasant feeling and it affects his mood a lot more than it should.

It's only a little pain. He should be able to handle it.

How could he be a member of Seabrook's society if he couldn't control himself?

"Does it still hurt?"

Zed sighs as he grabs his math book from his locker and slams it shut, turning towards his girlfriend with a look that could kill. "Are you sure your dad had the scientists fix it? Because if anything, it feels worse than it was." His Z-Band is covered by his jacket sleeve and Zed sees her eyes flicker down to where it's hidden before they find his face again.

"I don't think my dad would stoop that low, Zed."

Zed exhales, pushing a hand violently through his mussed hair. "I know he still doesn't like me, Addy. This is just what he would need to get rid of me. If I slip up and go zombie in public, he'd be able to lock me up and throw away the key."

Addison reaches over and slips her hand into his empty one, intertwining their fingers. "First off, you aren't going to go zombie in public. You're stronger than that. And second, I'll talk to him after school today and let him know you're still having issues." She squeezes his hand, "We'll figure this out, okay? Just hang in there."

She has to stand on her tiptoes to reach his lips and kiss him and he leans down to make it easier for her after their lips are locked. He smiles after she pulls away, her hand slowly falling from his. "I'll see you after class?" She asks, a smile that lights up the hall like nothing else present on her face.

"Of course," Zed confirms, "oh and don't fail your Spanish test!"

Addison rolls her eyes, throwing a smart remark over her shoulder as she rounds the corner. "Thanks for the encouragement, Zed."

"Always dear!" He calls back, and he hears her laughter echo down the hall. He leans back against the row of lockers, math book clutched in one hand, Z-Band resting uncomfortably on the wrist of the other.

"Just hang in there, Zed," he whispers to himself, closing his eyes, "hang in there."

* * *

Addison's dad swears up one way and down the other that Zed's Z-Band is completely, one hundred percent fixed. He promises that he didn't pull any funny business or strike a deal with the scientist that had worked on it and says that maybe it's the Z-Bands' new design that has caused the constant glitches.

He offers to investigate it more and Zed leaves it hanging, preferring not to turn into the town's personal zombie lab rat. He gets used to the constant feeling of his zombie side always being there, always being a part of him, from tasteless meals to casual classes, and of course it's a hassle. But he fights it.

He fights it because he's not a monster.

He refuses to be seen as a monster any longer.

* * *

Stupid things set him off.

He blames the band because the band is changing his moods and any other time the stupidly small things wouldn't bother him at all. It starts with Zoey's new puppy chewing half the things in his room and it takes everything inside of him to not scream.

It escalates after Eliza slaps his hand away before he can press a random key on her computer to mess with her. It makes him angry, so angry that his vision flashes red and the zombie inside of him roars, but it shouldn't. It  _shouldn't_. He was trying to mess with her and he had it coming. When Eliza asks if he's okay—"You're looking a little green there Z," he lies and says yes.

His veins turn thick and black after Bonzo accidentally knocks into the wrist that holds his Z-Band and Zed nearly snarls at him from instinct. Instead he shakes it off and plasters a fake smile on his face, pretending not to notice how easy it is to reply back in zombie that it's no big deal.

A random sophomore runs into him in the hallway at school and he nearly bites their face off, fully ready to make dessert of their arm and second-dessert from their fingers. The boy throws a hurried sorry over his shoulder as he rushes off to class, and Zed finds himself struggling to stop himself from chasing after him, instead letting his five-course meal get away.

He's never gotten mad at Addison before.

He didn't think it was possible to ever be mad at her. But it's very possible.

Something inside of him snaps when she tells him she can't hang out with him after school because she has too much homework. He hangs up the home phone with a shaky hand and screams loud enough that it booms through the empty house. There's not even anything  _to_  be mad  _about_ , Zed tries to tell himself, but his mind is just chanting  _brains, brains, brains_  like a mantra.

His tongue tastes sour all of a sudden, saliva pooling as he longs to devour somebody, anybody, everybody. He grabs at his head, tugging so hard that he nearly pulls the green strands from their roots, and he yells again, loud enough that the birds perched on the rotted fence posts outside scatter in a flurry of feathers and wings.

* * *

Sometimes the screen on his Z-Band changes.

Most of the time, even if he's almost going full zombie, it stays on a calm, green  **ONLINE**. Sometimes however, it will change randomly, going from green to orange, from orange to red. From a firm  **ONLINE** to an intimidating  **UNSTABLE**  and then to a final  **OFFLINE**.

It takes a while but eventually Zed learns that no matter what color his band is on, it doesn't affect him. His band is just broke, he decides, so it's all on him to prevent himself from eating somebody's brains. The band administers the shocks and rubs his wrist raw but doesn't actually do its job. The band is nothing more than another chain shackling him to the brick wall labeling him as a flesh-eating zombie.

He's more than a flesh-eating zombie.

* * *

He fights the anger.

He rebels against the monster raging inside him.

He stops the thought process.

Addison's proud of him. She is so, so proud of him that it makes his heart swell and his head spin. They opt for a night-in instead of a night-out one weekend. Zed's dad is okay with them coming over as long as they don't share a bed, which is understandable. Addison and Zed follow the rules and share the couch, Addison nestled into Zed's side, one of his arms slung around her. Zoey joins them on the couch until it's time for her to go to bed, and she gives them both a hug around the neck before running upstairs, Puppy following behind her, ever the loyal pet.

The swelling on Zed's wrist had gone down but the skin around the band was still a dark shade of red. Addison finds herself staring at his arm as a commercial plays on the television and Zed flinches back when her petite fingers brush over the damaged skin unexpectedly.

"Addy—"

He starts, directing his attention away from the TV so he can look down at her. Addison's already pulling his hand towards her stomach, holding it there gently as her thumb strokes his aching skin. "Why can't we just take the band off?" The question catches Zed off-guard.

"Take it . . . off?" He repeats, checking to make sure he heard her right.

Addison's thumb moves in a comforting motion across his skin. It's careful too; not too much pressure nor too little. Right, left. Up, down. Right, left. "Yeah. Can you get in trouble for it?" Zed ponders the idea for a moment, the television crackling as the signal fades out for a few seconds.

"I don't know."

Addison lifts her head to meet Zed's gaze, and then they jump up from the couch in a tangle of limbs. They browse every zombie handbook Zed's father owns. None of the rules specifically say that a zombie has to have a Z-Band. At the most, they just say that a zombie isn't allowed to run rouge and eat brains.

Bending the rules isn't breaking them.

* * *

Eliza is able to get Zed's Z-Band off.

It's an amazing feeling, not having something clamped down on your wrist, holding you back, holding you down. When air, fresh outside air, hits his sore skin he can't help but cheer, whooping loud and jumping around. Addison's watching from next to Eliza. She can't help but let out a laugh at her boyfriend's childish behavior. Then Zed runs over to Addison and dips her, bringing her up and into a deep kiss.

"Seriously?" Eliza demands, and when she doesn't get an answer she rolls her eyes and allows a long-suffering sigh to escape her. "You two are sickening."

"Sickening sweet," Zed chimes as he pulls back from his girlfriend and wiggles his eyebrows at his best friend, "I think you're just jealous."

Eliza doesn't look amused. "Hey Zed. Come here, I think your Z-Band misses you."

Zed takes off in the opposite direction.

Addison and Eliza share a knowing look and then crack small smiles.

At least—at last—their boy is free.

* * *

It's not easy controlling his zombie side.

It's not hard remembering why he does.


	2. Light [drabble]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the end Zed doesn’t care if the zombie patrol catches him; kissing her is worth the risk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They could've kissed here.  
> That would've been fine with me . . .
> 
> ///
> 
> Prompt:  
> None.
> 
> Genre: Romance  
> Rating: G

**Light**

 

He wants to kiss her.

He doesn't know if it's the soft lights or the empty room. He doesn't know if it's how the light bounces off her cheek and frames her face, like she's the shining star of the room. He doesn't know what it is but all he wants to do is kiss her. In this moment, he doesn't care that it could never happen and probably never work. In this moment, he just . . . doesn't care.

Zed always finds himself comparing her to light.

He thinks it's because she's the spark in his life, his light in the dark. For the longest time it's been Zoey and his dad holding that light, keeping him going and moving, a small flicker in the darkness.

They'll always be his light.

Addison just came out of nowhere and became his sun.

She's not a zombie with pasty skin and government-issued clothing. It's insane to like her as much as he does, right? He's only known her for about a week, give or take. She's not a zombie and he knows that in itself is a recipe for disaster—this whole thing could go wrong in a million different ways before next Friday—but Zed can't tear himself away.

She's not scared of him. When he gently curls the rebellious tuft of white hair around his finger, she doesn't even flinch, and the only reason she pulls back is because she's ashamed of it. Zed believes she has nothing to be ashamed of. Her hair is amazing and unique in every single way. There's so many amazing things about her that Zed wouldn't have the time to list them all.

When he says, "You're beautiful." He means it.

It's hard getting the words out. There's a lump in his throat and his palms are clammy. There's a weird feeling in his stomach—can zombies even get butterflies?—and his mouth is suddenly dry. It's nerves, he tells himself. It's anticipation for something that might not happen. It's—it's  _something_.

Addison doesn't make any moves to back away.

Their noses are almost touching because of how close they are. Music thrums from the other room and Zed can hear faint cheering and singing but nothing clear. The longer he stares at her, the less anxious he feels.

He doesn't know where the surge of confidence comes from. Maybe it's because she's still standing there, with him. But he's able to lift his hand to her cheek, caressing it affectionately.

He wants to kiss her.

So when the lights go out, he does.


	3. The Date [Part One]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zed’s creative when it comes to asking his girl out on a date. 
> 
> [Part One of Two]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think I mentioned this yet so I'll do it now—all one-shots are unrelated to one another unless stated otherwise (if I decide to do a second part or something I'll be sure to let you guys know and label it accordingly.) I also feel like I don't want any of my one-shots in here to pass 3,000/4,000 words so if they do I'll split them into parts and let you guys know.
> 
> This particular one-shot is in fact split into parts and part two should be up sometime soon!  
> Thank you guys for all of the support so far!
> 
> ///
> 
> Prompt:  
> None.  
> Notes:  
> Zed/Addison and Zed/Eliza friendship.  
> Mainly Zed/Addison but Eliza and Zed also have a heart to heart about some things.
> 
> Genre: Romance with some Angst  
> Rating: G

**The Date**   
**Part One**

 

"I'm taking you out tonight," Zed declares through a mouthful of apple, catching Addison's eye from across the lunch table, "for our first official date." Eliza rolls her eyes from next to Zed and Bonzo catches her in the act, elbowing her in the side. She shoots him a glare as Addison looks amusedly at her boyfriend.

"We already had our first date weeks ago," she reminds him and Zed shakes his head.

"No, no that one didn't count. You were out with Zed the Fake Human, not Zed the Zombie—"

"You guys already went on a date?" Bree all but exclaims from beside her best friend and Addison laughs, turning towards her and whispering forgotten details while Zed is left mid-sentence, unable to interrupt because the two girls are talking faster than he can follow.

Eliza takes this as her opportunity to grill Zed for her own details. "You went on a date with Cheery Von Cheerstick? How?" Eliza had no issue with Addison. She was a sweet girl and sometimes it was actually cute watching her and Zed interact. They were adorable as a couple and reminded Eliza of fairy-tale books with noble knights and beautiful princesses that her mother used to read her when she was little. They're like Romeo and Juliet . . . just without the tragic ending.

But if Eliza the snarky suddenly turned into Eliza the gushing teddy bear, she'd never live it down. Bonzo and Zed would tease her about it for years to come. That couldn't happen. She wouldn't allow it. "Zombies aren't allowed in any restaurants on this side of town."

When the zombie population had first migrated over, a lot of places—stores, restaurants, libraries—had plastered signs in their windows and on their doors with the words WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE TO ANYONE OR ANYTHING. Underneath the black writing, was then either NO ZOMBIES ALLOWED or A ZOMBIE-FREE RESTAURANT in bright red.

Addison and Zed had changed things; they had ignited the first real change in Seabrook in over fifty years. But change took time.

Some of Seabrooks' natives, mostly older citizens in the community, didn't accept the change as easily as others did so there was still a good amount of places where those signs still stood proud. Addison's mother and father had been butting heads about it recently, the argument of if it was discrimination or not still up in the air (to them at least) so the bigger changes, like removing those signs, were still being worked at.

Eliza sees the wince Zed tries to hide at her questioning and her eyes narrow. When Zed knows he's about to get chewed out about something, it's readable in his expression or recognizable in his actions. A poorly hidden wince means she's about to rip him a new one once he spits out whatever he's done wrong.

He swallows his bite of apple and nervously tosses his half-eaten apple from one hand to the other. Bonzo is no longer peering at his sandwich, instead he's looking at Zed too, confusion scribbled across his face.

"Gazong?" He asks and an anxious exhale slips from Zed's lips.

"I  _might've_ messed with my Z-Band so that I could impress Addison's parents and take her out on impromptu date. I just turned myself human for a little while and I was fine afterwards . . . "

His sentence trails off at the end and Eliza whips towards him, anger flashing in her eyes to hide the fear located underneath. He could've died from messing with his band like that. Didn't the idiot know that?

"You did what?" She hisses and Zed smiles regretfully.

When he goes to open his mouth and respond Addison and Bree insert themselves back into the conversation, completely unaware of the exchange that was taking place between Zed and Eliza. "Sorry for the freak-out," Bree says, grabbing Zed's attention as he turns away from Eliza to stare back at the girls.

Bonzo anchors a hand on Eliza's shoulder and when she glances over at him he nods and she sighs, picking up her plastic fork and stabbing it into a piece of lettuce.

"Nah it's no big deal," Zed dismisses and when he feels Addison's gaze on him he turns towards her, reaching out and catching her idle hand in his. "So," he says, "what do you say?" A second passes and before Addison can answer a look that mirrors that of one forgetting to do something crosses Zed's face. "Oh wait, wait I'm doing it wrong, hold on."

He winks at her before releasing her hand and standing up, making his way over to Bonzo. Bonzo's already busy digging around for something in his lunch bag and when he finds it he's careful to keep it tucked in his large palm and away from Addison's spying eyes as he passes it off to Zed.

"Thanks bud," Zed whispers as he slaps his back and then lifts his body and slides across the table, landing on his feet on the other side with ease before making his way over to where Addison sits. Bonzo looks more than excited from his seat and even Eliza looks faintly curious as Zed gets down on one knee in front of her.

Addison's heart pounds and her eyes widen at the action.

Bree squeals from next to her and claps her hands together and Bonzo chuckles to himself, more than entertained at Addison's awestruck reaction. The entire lunchroom is staring and a hush has settled across the large crowd. Besides a few stray whispers and some low moans of annoyance, it's completely silent.

Zed acts like he doesn't even notice that the entirety of the student body is watching him as he reveals what he was hiding in his right hand and holds it out towards his girlfriend.

It's another carved apple but this time it's different, the first of those differences being that instead of it being a green apple it's a red one and it's not carved all the way through. This apple is carved in the shape of multiple hearts, beautiful hearts, white contrasting red as they jut out from all around the core.

When she's finally able to tear her gaze away from the apple and look at Zed's face, he's grinning wide. "My darling Addison," he says, voice resounding through the lunchroom, "would you give me the greatest honor of my undead life and go on a date with me?"

Inhales ripple through the room, followed by some whispered  _aww's_  and laughs. Bree and Eliza glare at the ones who laugh rudely from within the crowd and they close their mouths and don't utter another sound. It's really the apple, not the question, that takes Addison's breath away, but she doesn't tell Zed that (because though she doesn't want to admit it, it's his question that does it too.)

Zed looks up at her and she's looking down at him, a zombie and a girl the center of attention and before Addison can answer the bell goes off. No one moves for a beat and then when Addison still doesn't answer they finally start packing up their things and throwing away their lunches, the room a whirlwind of noise. Only when the noise is loud enough and people are rushing past does Addison answer her boyfriend.

"I would love to go on a date with you, Zed."

Zed's smile seems to stretch all the way to his ears as he reaches over and places the carved apple on the table before leaning forwards and meeting her lips in a deep kiss. Bonzo and Bree cheer and Eliza only smiles once she's sure neither are looking at her. Zed and Addison pay no mind to their animated friends.

His hand cups her cheek as hers wind around his neck and he chuckles into the kiss, unable to contain the excitement bubbling over from her saying yes. When they pull back from each other they keep their foreheads pressed together and Zed doesn't bother with removing his ashen hand from her sun-kissed cheek. Addison doesn't bother with removing her arms from around his neck either.

"Do you always have a flair for dramatics, zombie?" She whispers teasingly and Zed chuckles, leaning in for another kiss, this one quick and perfect.

"Only when it comes to you, cheerleader." He replies like it's the easiest thing in the world.

"We should probably get going," Addison says, attempting to be the voice of reason.

Zed pretends to think it over for a moment. "We should," he agrees, "but I can think of better things to do." He presses his lips to hers with more fire than usual and his hand falls from her cheek, instead moving lower—

"Woah hey!" Eliza cries, "None of that! You have an audience! Go and get a room or a storage closet if you can't keep it in your pants Zed, geez." Zed breaks away from Addison's lips and falls forward against her chest laughing, which just incites another comment from Eliza as her, Bonzo and Bree stand from the lunch table.

Bree and Bonzo deposit their food scraps into the nearest trashcan and then wave at their friends before walking out of the room side by side, leaving Eliza with the two lovebirds in all their glory. To her relief the couple pull apart from each other, it's really more Addison shoving Zed off her, and then stand up.

Addison's class is on the other side of the school and typically Zed wouldn't care and walk her there anyway, but they're actually running late today because of his proposal and he knows Addison wouldn't allow it so when she snatches Bonzo's carved apple from the table and grabs her book bag Zed's barely able to give her a farewell hug before she runs out the double doors. "Six o'clock sound okay? I'll pick you up and we can take the scenic route."

Addison nods, and she really could spend the rest of the day in his arms, she loves him so much, but she can't and reluctantly pulls away. "That sounds amazing." She says as she heads towards he doors, "I have to go but I love you so much!"

"I'll meet you after class and I love you too!"

With those final words she disappears through the doors and Zed grins at Eliza as he picks up his bag and starts to head in the other direction, pushing his way through the doors.

Eliza's stuck in place for a moment before remembering about what he had told her before asking Addison out on a date and her anger returns full force as what could've been grave repercussions rush to the forefront of her mind.

In a split second decision, she decides to follow after him.

"Zed!" Eliza calls, slinging her backpack over one shoulder and hurrying out of the cafeteria to catch up with him, "Zed wait!" Zed turns around, an apology already forming on his lips.

"Sorry I didn't hear—"

"You messed with your Z-Band to turn yourself human." It's not a question, it's a statement and Zed adjusts his grip on his bag, shifting fretfully like a kid caught stealing cookies out of a cookie jar. The smile that had previously been on his face is now wiped off. He won't meet her eyes.

"Yeah," he admits quietly and Eliza scowls at the confirmation.

"Why? Why would you do such a stupid thing?"

Zed tightens his hold on the book bag strap, shrugging like it's no big deal. "I was back to normal within the hour, Eliza. It was fine."

"No it's not  _fine_ ," she seethes, reaching out and grabbing at the wrist that holds his Z-Band. "Messing with this band, Zed?" She jerks his wrist towards her and flips it around so that he can see the green color of the screen and the words that control their lives. "It's not a game. It's your life that you're playing with." She pulls at his wrist more, like as if her actions will be able to portray everything she can't bring herself to say. "You could've died, Zed. Do you know that? You could've died because you wanted to impress a girl's parents."

Eliza can't stop her voice from wavering towards the end and oddly enough she finds tears prickling at the back of her eyes. She refuses to cry over this, no way, not in front of Zed, he's seen her cry way too many times by now and that alone is a blotch on her track record so no way in is she going to start bawling in this stupid high school hallway—

"Hey."

She's not holding onto Zed's wrist anymore.

Zed's hand is in hers, squeezing tight, reassuring. Being there. A hand to hold. Eliza blinks and is surprised when a tear slips from her eye and Zed's hold on her hand tightens even more. "Hey," he says again, firm but gentle, not lowering his voice because there's no need to.

The hallways are abandoned. Being late to their classes probably isn't a good way to start off the year, especially with them being zombies and a lot of the teachers hating zombies with a burning passion, but neither really cares.

"I'm okay." He's finally looking into her eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—I didn't know messing with it could kill me. But you don't need to worry. It won't happen again."

Eliza sniffles, pulling her hand out his soft grasp so she can wipe at her eyes, the scowl still on her face but with much less wrath behind it. "You're—"

A hiccup interferes and her glower deepens.

"— _so_  stupid, Zed. L-Look you—you made me get all upset because of  _this_ ," Zed chuckles, a soft smile gracing his kind features. He reaches into his jacket pocket and offers her a ragtag handkerchief that's stitched together by blue and red embroidery.

She takes it appreciatively. "Eliza—"

"Don't you  _ever_  do it again, okay?" She stresses, handkerchief pressed against her nose.

"Never again." Zed promises and then without any warning he wraps his lanky arms around her, pulling her flush against him in a brotherly hug.

"You know I don't do hugs Zed," she whispers from his chest, but there's no bite behind it.

"I know," Zed mumbles back, "but you know I'm gonna do it anyway."

He's honestly her best friend. She doesn't know if she would've gotten this far without him. Zed and Eliza against the whole wide world. "If it helps," he mutters, "being a zombie is  _so_  much better than being a human."

"Well duh," Eliza retorts, "humans are gross."

Zed laughs, his chest rumbling with the action. "Humans are gross," he agrees. "Well, almost all humans. Bree is sweet. And Addison is—"

"Cool. She's . . . cool." Eliza finishes.

Zed grins.

(That's as close as he's getting to a stamp of approval from Eliza.

That's enough for him.)

* * *

"Wow."

Zed's breath is taken away when Addison answers the door, and he only had to knock twice so maybe she's looking forward to this as much as he is.

She's wearing a soft orange dress that cuts off like a skirt would at her knees with fat ruffles and thin straps. The front doesn't veer downwards and show off cleavage, instead keeping steady at her neck like a tee-shirt would. She has her wig on and Zed would question it but he doesn't want to ruin the mood. It's done beautifully, curled and glowing in the evening dusk.

She easily outshines his crisp black suit with fancy cuff-links and a crooked tie—he's also pretty sure there's mold on the back of it, he had dug it out from the bottom of his father's closet and there's some dirt or dust speckled across the hem of the front that he could just  _not_  get off—and suddenly he worries that he doesn't deserve to be seen anywhere with her.

She's so . . .

She's light. He's nothing but darkness.

"Is that a good wow or a bad wow?" She asks with a chuckle and Zed struggles for words— _any_  words c'mon brain it's not  _that_ hard please work—and he's finally able to discover some and breathe them out.

"A good wow," he reassures, trying desperately to keep the squeak out of his voice, "you . . . you look gorgeous." Addison gets a twinkle in her eye as she smiles.

"Don't you mean delicious?" She asks, her tone playful yet still serious, and Zed is at a loss for words  _again_. She truly amazes him in every single way.

"Um, either," he clears his throat, "either of those works, really, I mean you're just so—"

Addison saves him from having to sputter out any more jumbled words—thankfully.

She turns to the empty parlor. "Mom! Dad! I'm leaving! I'll be back before eight!" She doesn't wait for a response as she grabs her purse from inside the house and then meets Zed on the step, pulling the door closed behind her. It's then that she gets a good look at him, the yellow light from the street-lights giving his pale skin some more color.

His green hair is smoothed back by some gel and styled to one side in the front and the suit and pants fit impeccably, the crooked black tie really cementing the whole look. The street light gives some shadow to his jawline and brightens his eyes. It's hard not to stare. His Z-Band is stuffed underneath one of his cuff-links and it's one of the first things Addison notices and when she reaches for his arm he lets her take it. She gently pulls the cuff-link back, bunching it behind the band and then doing the same with his other arm.

Zed watches her the entire time.

Once she's finished she takes both of his hands in hers and exhales, looking up back up at him. "There. Now you're the most handsome zombie out here. You don't have to hide who you are." She swings the arm that holds the Z-Band, "I think the band looks pretty chic with the suit and  _you_  look quite gorgeous yourself."

Zed leans down and kisses her but doesn't linger because there's still an eighty percent chance that her father could be watching from inside the house and storm out with something deadly and handcuffs so he keeps the kiss short and sweet.

"Shall we get going my darling?"

He asks in a ghastly British accent and Addison laughs as she drops one of his hands so they can begin walking towards town.

"Lead the way my good sir."


	4. The Date [Part Two]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their first official date as zombie and human is far from perfect. 
> 
> [Part Two of Two]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The whole idea of this definitely came from me thinking about how Seabrook really isn't going to change overnight.  
> You're talking fifty years and one pep rally is going to change that?  
> Things do not happen that easily.
> 
> Thank you all for the super sweet comments and kudos!
> 
> ///
> 
> Prompt:   
> None.
> 
> Genre: Romance with some Angst  
> Rating: PG (but still more on the G side of things)  
> Warnings for mentions of discrimination and nasty views about it.

**The (Actual) Date**   
**Part Two**

 

Their walk through town to get to the restaurant where Zed has reservations is short and only takes them about fifteen minutes to get there. The streets are peaceful and lit by the auburn glow of the lowering sun on the horizon and by the time they get to the restaurant crickets are chirping and early evening has turned into night. The sun always sets early in Seabrook and tonight is no exception.

Zed and Addison have been holding hands, giggling at jokes (more Addison than Zed) and stealing kisses (more Zed than Addison) from each other the entire way over and so far the night was going more than perfect.

"After you," Zed says as he holds open the restaurant door with a grand bow and dramatic wave of the hand.

Addison curtseys before walking in, "Thank you," and Zed follows behind her.

The restaurant is stunning.

The walls are a dark oak, lit by white lamps and tables spread out all around them. Waitresses and waiters in black and white tuxedos serve plates full of steak and fill glasses with wine as they stroll through the room. It's a smaller place, sandwiched between a clothes store and a grocery store, but the restaurant's reputation is enough to keep them in business. It's elegant and filled with the soft hum of conversation from patrons and only a few turn their heads when the door closes behind the pair.

Addison looks around in compete amazement, taking it all in. She's heard about this place, and she knows her parents have had private dinners at this place before, but she's never been in it herself.

It's more than words.

When she meets Zed's eyes he's smiling, a thoughtful kind of smile that reaches his eyes and when he reaches for her hand she lets him grab it. "Zed this is—this is incredible. This place is beautiful. I've always heard about it but I've never been in here and," she pauses, eyebrows knitting together, "wait. Zed you can't afford—"

He squeezes her hand fondly.

"Don't worry about it." He leans down and gives her a quick peck but lingers afterwards. "We're only eating appetizers, they have a two for one deal," he mumbles against her lips and Addison's never felt this happy or this grateful in her entire life as she closes the gap and kisses him again. A light blush is coloring Zed's cheeks when she pulls away and it takes him a moment to gather his bearings and remember where they are.

First date. With the most beautiful girl in the world. Right. He's got this.

"Come on," he says, pulling at her hand with a smile.

He leads her further into the restaurant to where a hostess waits behind a brown podium. She's smiling up until she lifts her head from her seating chart and when she sees them the smile disappears. "Hello," Zed greets, drawing out the final letter, "reservation under Z-E-D, Zed."

The hostess blinks.

She doesn't glance down at her reservation list until Zed clears his throat and nods towards the book. "Um yes, yes. Sorry. Zed . . . Zed . . . " Her finger trails down the page and when she finds his name scribbled next to the hasty-written time of 6:25 she lets out an uneasy exhale.

"Follow me please," she says as she takes two menus and leads them into the dining room. She places the menus on top of a corner table towards the back of the restaurant and smiles politely. "Enjoy your meal."

"Thank you," Zed replies sincerely as he pulls out a chair for Addison.

Instead of making her way back to the front after seating the couple, the hostess makes her way to the kitchen in search of the manager. She finds him talking with the head chef and cuts in once she can. "We're allowing zombies in here now?" She asks. The manager gives her a baffled look.

"Zombies? No. We don't allow those scum in here."

"Well there's one in our restaurant. I didn't want to cause a scene so they're seated in the back."

The manager curses under his breath but thanks the hostess anyway, dismissing her. "I don't understand why they think they're suddenly welcomed everywhere. A high school pep rally isn't going to change anyone's opinion of them." He grumbles to himself, checking over some orders.

He doesn't like it, but he doesn't want to cause a scene either so unless it becomes a problem with the other patrons in the restaurant he's not going to say anything.

Hopefully he won't have to.

* * *

"We are going to get an order of the fried shrimp—oh sorry, make that two orders—an order of the boneless wings, mild, and a side order of some French fries." Zed passes over their menus as Addison takes a sip of her Sprite and the waitress writes it down before walking away to put in their order.

Everything goes great while they wait for their food, the both of them talking and laughing and learning things about each other and when the food comes out they both dig right in. The French fries and one order of shrimp are gone within ten minutes and by twenty all that's left are three lone shrimp and two wings.

"Oh my God. Zed, this is the best dinner I've ever had, even if it's only shrimp and fries." Addison says through a laugh, taking a small drink. Zed smiles and after making sure both of the glasses are out of the way, leans across the table and kisses her.

Addison smiles and goes to lift her hand to his cheek but before she can someone interjects and the words they say make the two teens break apart. They don't raise their voice and they don't lower it but their steady volume is loud enough to echo through the semi-full dining room.

"That is absolutely disgusting."

Zed slowly sinks back into his seat and Addison sees him glance down at the Z-Band snug on his wrist. She opens her mouth to say otherwise but the person, an older lady with an abrasive voice, speaks again, igniting hateful comments from all across the room as more and more pairs of eyes turn to stare at Zed and Addison. "Locking lips with a zombie?" She scoffs, dabbing her own shriveled-up lips with a napkin. "Absolutely revolting."

Addison turns towards the older lady, prepared to let her have it. "Hey—"

She's drowned out.

"Don't zombies carry things? Won't she get sick from kissing  _that_?"

"I think my appetite is gone."

"Can you believe her parents would allow that?"

"Don't look."

"Is that the mayor's daughter? Oh my—"

It's a dormant volcano erupting. Soon the wait-staff are desperately trying to calm everyone down but there's too many voices, too many whispers. Some people are grabbing their belongings and heading towards the door while others are pointing to where Zed and Addison are sitting. It's a roaring tidal wave that's just getting worse and worse.

When Addison turns back to Zed he's curled into himself, trying to hide himself from the prying eyes of the room. He looks like all of the fight has been wiped out of him, each word stabbing and twisting his insides around. "Zed, it doesn't matter. Don't listen to them." There's something fragile in his eyes, something Addison just wants to fix but doesn't know how.

"Addy," he whispers, shaking his head.

"Excuse me."

The manager interrupts Zed easily, walking over and leaning against the back of Addison's chair. "Sir this is a huge misunderstanding," Addison starts but the younger man holds up a hand, stopping her.

"I think it would be best if you two left."

Addison's mouth drops open. Zed remains silent. "You can't—"

"I can, actually. We have the right to refuse service to anyone." He gestures towards her, "Even the mayor's daughter." The manager is a man who looks to be his late twenties with a balding head and a holier-than-thou attitude. Addison feels helpless under his stern gaze.

"Sir—"

"Miss," he counters, "please. Don't make me call a patrol."

The sound of Zed's chair screeching as he slides it back echoes through the suddenly noiseless room. He reaches into his right pants pocket, searching for something, and once he finds what he's looking for he holds it out towards the manager with a half-smile.

"Keep the change," he says and then holds out a hand towards his girlfriend. The manager's fingers close around the thirty dollar bill at the same time Zed's hand closes around Addison's. "Amazing food, really," Zed marvels as he helps Addison out of her chair, glancing over at the manager. The entire dining room is watching him as he grabs Addison's purse for her. "Way better than brains."

Half the room gasps from shock. Zed doesn't bother with correcting himself and adding on the word cauliflower afterwards. He doesn't care. They really thought zombies were beasts, didn't they? Addison and him might've changed some things at the pep rally but they still had a long way to go. They couldn't change everyone's beliefs with one pep rally . . . and Zed knew that. He did. Sometimes he just hoped otherwise.

Addison loops her arm through his as they leave.

The sign next to the door, scrawled with black and red marker and hidden by an overgrown shrub, rattles in the evening wind.

* * *

"I'm sorry I ruined our date."

"You didn't ruin anything."

Zed ducks his head as another burst of air assaults them, Addison shivering from the sudden cold. "Hey do you want to head inside?" She asks, goosebumps prickling her skin. He shakes his head, voice suddenly low as he stares at their interlocked hands.

"I don't think I can deal with anyone else coming after me tonight, Addy."

"We'll sneak in. Run up to my room before they see us."

Zed raises his head, smiling softly. "What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't get you home in time?" He whispers, bringing one of her hands to his lips. "I don't want to give them any other reasons to hate me, or zombies in general. I'm pretty sure sneaking up to your room with you would give them a lot of reasons."

Another gust hits them, forceful enough that it makes a wind chime jingle from somewhere close by. Zed sheds his suit jacket in one swift movement and throws it over Addison's freezing shoulders. She pulls it around herself as Zed stuffs his hands into his pockets. A frown makes it's way across Addison's face after a few quiet moments.

"They had no right to treat us like that."

"Us?"

Addison meets his gaze unflinchingly, a steely resolve in her eyes. "Us. We're in this together, Zed. It's us against the world. If somebody goes after you then that means they're coming after me too." Zed wants to fight her on it.

_It's too dangerous_ , he wants to say,  _you could get hurt_.

"I'm—"

_I'm not worth it._

"You're worth it."

It's like she can read his mind sometimes. Eliza does it far more than she should be able to and Zed doesn't know if the fact that Addison can do it too is great or horrible. (It's great.) "Putting yourself on the line like this Addy . . ." Zed starts to caution but Addison barely lets him finish.

"Is worth every second.  _You_  are worth every second."

She takes a step forward, closing the distance between them. Zed doesn't know what to do with himself, but he doesn't have to worry long because Addison's already reaching out and wrapping her arms around him in a hug. His arms fall around her shoulders and he dips his head down, resting it on her shoulder.

It's 7:26 on a chilly Thursday evening.

A girl and zombie stand outside braving the weather, buried in each other's arms.

Ready to face the world.

Together.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PS: I'm going to milk these lyrics out for the rest of my life.  
> Thanks for reading!


	5. DM Me [Celebrity AU]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It starts with an Instagram Post; it ends with something neither expected. 
> 
> Celebrities AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you wish to read the rant I originally had in the AN on this one-shot, head on over to FF.net (same username).  
> It was a long one lol, anyway, that rant inspired this story which is (fully) about Zed and Addison and not the real actors.  
> Enjoy!
> 
> ///
> 
> Prompt:  
> None.  
> Notes:  
> Celebrity AU
> 
> Genre: Romance, Friendship and some Humor  
> Rating: PG

**dm me (if you have the time)**

 

* * *

  O

_zed-the-zombie liked your post._

O

* * *

"Who's Zed the Zombie?" Addison asks amongst digging through her closet, throwing an old cardigan to the side with a scowl. The question's been weighing on her all day. Her best friend, Bree, looks up from browsing through her phone.

"Um," she starts, confusion blatant in her tone. "Who?"

Addison tosses a pair of pink socks out of her way. Thank God the press didn't know the state of her closet. She's pretty sure she'd get flamed about how disorganized it was. Wasn't it an unspoken rule that girls were the neat ones and guys were the sloppy ones?

"Zed. The Zombie. He liked my Instagram post the other day."

Bree shakes her head, "I've never heard of him."

Addison groans as she sorts through some discarded shirts, muttering angrily to herself. She should've cleaned this out ages ago. She's never going to find what she's looking for at this rate. "Well can't you like . . . Wiki him or something? Please? I'm curious."

Almost at the same time Bree whistles and says, " _Oh_  he's hot. I could see you two together." Addison's cheeks heat up and she's more than glad that she's inside the closet.

"Bree," she chides, "just look him up."

Addison's able to riffle through three more piles of miscellaneous clothing before Bree's voice sounds from behind her. "Zed Necrodopoulus," she pauses and Addison hears her nails click and clack against the phone screen, "well  _that's_  a mouthful—"

"Bree," Addison says exaggeratedly, plucking a lone tube of red lipstick from underneath a pair of jeans and tossing it backwards, hoping it lands on the carpet and not on something breakable. When she doesn't hear anything shatter or crack after the action, she breathes out a sigh of relief.

"Nice throw," Bree comments from her spot on the ottoman at the end of Addison's bed and before the natural blonde can nag at her again, Bree begins reading from Zed the Zombie's Wikipedia page.

"Zed Necrodopoulus, more commonly known as Zed the Zombie, is an up-and-coming actor and dancer. He is most known for his roles in various Indie films where he's shown off his sensitive side and his flesh-eating side. His most famous role was as a zombie who decides that eating brains isn't as much fun as falling in love in the film Attack and his natural charisma kept the fans coming back for more in the sequel, Fall. Since wrapping up filming earlier this year for the final movie of the trilogy, Release, he's decided to keep the green hair but ditch the pale skin and make-up."

Addison's already come to the conclusion that she's not going to find her favorite jean jacket anywhere in this horrendous closet in time for the press event later that night but she's not one to give up while she's ahead and hey she can almost see the back wall. What Bree says about Zed's hair however, which is apparently green, is enough to stop her in her tracks because there's no way she can't question it.

"Wait so he has green hair? Like his hair is legitimately dyed bright green just because he wants it to be?" Bree makes a sound that's close to a non-committal hum.

"Well it's not bright green. It's more of an in-between shade that's not too obnoxious and not too toned down." Addison sighs, shoving a pair of black boots out of her way. Her trek is almost over. She's almost to the back of the closet and once she reaches it she can give up and say she searched it all.

"Okay so why is a guy with green hair liking my pictures?"

"Maybe it's because he likes what's in the picture," Bree says innocently, barely able to hold back a laugh when Addison reaches a hand back and flicks her off. The picture was of Addison in a grey sweater, holding a hot chocolate with a peppermint straw in one hand and a book in the other, a bashful smile on her face.

It was a simple picture really, candid in all its ways and everyone had liked it, red hearts and drool-faces here, double pink hearts and heart eye emojis there. Some of the comments had made her smile—not the creepy ones, no—but the genuine ones. Those comments always made her smile.

"Since his success with his zombie movies, Zed Necrodopoulus has taken on the mantle of Zed the Zombie in interviews and on social media. When asked about the change, he's replied by saying, 'Zed the Zombie just seems to fit me a lot better than it should,' and, 'I just really like the whole zombie thing going on and I'm super appreciative of everyone who has helped me get to this point in my life.' Zed has also starred in some music videos and has had cameos in dancing films as a background dancer . . . "

Bree trails off, starting to skim through the rest of his information. "Currently resides in California—well that's awfully stalker-ish Wikipedia—has a father and younger sister, has opened up about his mother walking out on his family at a young age, very adamant about how everyone should be treated the same way and he is the same age as you."

Bree clicks off the Wikipedia page and switches back over to Instagram, continuing her research by now going through the rest of Zed's account. "Does it ever bother you that Wikipedia just documents our lives?"

She asks Addison as she scrolls and Addison answers with a modest, "Sometimes," but then gasps in excitement as she yanks her jean jacket out from under a crumpled dress. "Bree I found it!" She singsongs as he stumbles out of her closet, clutching the jacket close to her chest.

Bree smiles but her eyes don't leave her phone. Addison tosses the jacket on her desk chair and falls on her stomach on the end of her bed, propped up by her elbows so that she's able to see over Bree's shoulder.

Zed has a lot of pictures, nearly three hundred, though it's nothing compared to the thousand Addison has and the six hundred on Bree's account. What could they say? They liked taking a lot of pictures.

Most of the pictures are of his family; shots of a short older man cooking at the stove or sitting in a car, videos of a young little girl with pigtails dancing around the living room or cheering a perfect  _Go Zed!_  number with silver pom-poms.

Then there's the pictures of him on different sets, from movies to music videos, and him hugging two friends with the same green hair and pastel make-up. Pictures of an adorable Golden Labradoodle with different filters, the captions  _Puppy with her new Ball_  and  _Puppy and Me Out in the Town_  going side-by-side.

They get through a good chunk of them before Bree stops on a zombiefied picture of him and turns to look at Addison. "So he lives in the same area as us and is also seventeen." She says as knowingly as possible and Addison groans and drops her head to the blanket.

"Sounds like a recipe for disaster."

"Sounds like boyfriend material to me, Ads."

Addison flicks Bree in the shoulder, "Shut up."

Later that night, against everything inside telling her not to do it, she stalks his Instagram page herself.

_**zed-the-zombie**_  
294 pictures  
46k followers  
103 following

Bree isn't wrong.

Zed the Zombie doesn't look that bad.

* * *

_addison.smith posted a photo._  
[Close-Up of a Starbucks cup next to a half-eaten chocolate donut.]

[5m] zed-the-zombie: basic  
[2m] addison.smith: *white girl

O

_addison.smith posted a photo._  
[Addison in a cheerleading uniform on set hugging a co-star.]  
addison.smith: "this is gonna be the best day of my life"

[11m] zed-the-zombie: very pretty  
[4m] addison.smith: she is!! @laceytheacey  
[2m] zed-the-zombie: @addison.smith  
[5s] laceytheacey: @addison.smith oooo

O

addison.smith:  
_zed-the-zombie started following you._

O

zed-the-zombie:  
_addison.smith started following you._

* * *

"So how are things going with zombie boy?"

Addison nearly chokes on her sip of coffee. After she coughs it out, she glances up from her laptop to see Bucky giving her a teasing smile. "Things aren't  _going_. People have been freaking out since his 'proclamation of love for me' after he commented on that post and made sure I, along with everyone else, knew he was calling me pretty and not Lacey."

Bucky chuckles, stirring his latte with a spoon after adding two sugar packets. "You're lucky it was Lacey and not Tracey. Tracey would've clapped back, emojis and all." Addison brings her focus back to the article she's working on for school, perusing her questionable thesis.

"Lacey was cool with it. She's been practically begging me for updates every weekend."

It had been a few weeks since the faithful incident with Zed—directly—calling her pretty. The internet was going crazy and apparently two public social media conversations was enough to warrant a ship name too.

"It's not even a big deal," Addison mumbles as she deletes a poorly worded sentence and Bucky looks up from his to-go cup with a raised eyebrow. "I mean, he's pretty and all and I absolutely adore that he likes every one of my posts but I don't know him or anything."

"Then get to. Comment on some of his posts," Bucky offers and Addison finds herself nodding.

"Yeah. I guess I could do that."

"Hashtag Zaddison Lives," Bucky mumbles from the lid of his cup a few beats later and Addison hears and knocks him in the forehead with a packet of sugar. Bucky just laughs and retaliates, shooting sugar all over her keyboard and soon the two are having an all-out sugar war in the middle of the Starbucks café.

(When he makes a post on his own Instagram with that hashtag smack-dab in the center, she can't bring herself to be mad at him because he's her cousin and he's Bucky; Bucky's going to do what he wants to do and nobody is going to stop him from doing it.)

The post gets 100,043 likes.

* * *

_zed-the-zombie posted a photo._  
[Bust-Shot of Zed sitting at a bar-like table and looking to the left, holding a cup of coffee to his lips, green hair vibrant under the neon lights.]  
zed-the-zombie: Caffeine makes the world go round.

[8m] addison.smith: green?  
[2m] zed-the-zombie: it's my color

_addison.smith liked your comment._

O

_zed-the-zombie posted a photo._  
[Puppy sitting next to a sliding glass door, nose pressed against the glass.]  
zed-the-zombie: dog days.

_addison.smith liked your post._

O

_zed-the-zombie posted a photo._  
[Zed's back silhouetted against the darkening sky.]

[30m] addison.smith: in the words of the wise; very pretty  
[28m] addison.smith: @zed-the-zombie  
[19m] zed-the-zombie: I am, aren't I?  
[16m] addison.smith: only because I can't see your face.  
[14m] zed-the-zombie: ouch babe. that hurt  
[10m] addison.smith: babe???

_zed-the-zombie liked your comment._

* * *

"The internet absolutely loves you two."

"What? Why? There's not even anything to love!"

Bree and Bucky share a look that Addison doesn't like. "Guys, seriously. How can it even be considered flirting if it's just through comments? We've never even met in real life. What if he's like a fifty year old—"

"Zombie?" Bucky cuts in, "I don't think so. It's not some random, it's a fellow celebrity. He has to be real to be a celebrity, Addy."

Addison sighs, shoving her head under her pillow. The three are piled in her bedroom, Bree sitting across from her, Bucky leaning back beside her. She's been talking to Zed through Instagram comments for about two months now and the Zaddison Hashtag was trending like nothing else. If anything, it was just some more unneeded pressure in Addison's life. A Hashtag wasn't going to make her get with a guy whose green hair was brighter than her mascara.

"We know you like him, Ads," Bree says from her spot, completely honest.

Addison lifts her head from the small pillow. "I do not—"

"You do," Bucky deadpans, "don't try to lie to me cuz, I can read you like a book."

Addison doesn't answer.

So what if she likes him? It's not like anything's going to happen anyway. And she's only known the guy, digitally, for two months. It was impossible for her to like him so quickly . . . wasn't it?

* * *

_addison.smith posted a photo._  
[Addison leaning on her hand, looking into the camera.]

_zed-the-zombie liked your post._

[45m] zed-the-zombie: you're gorgeous  
[24m] addison.smith: that's awfully bold of you  
[15m] zed-the-zombie: I mean it.  
[14m] zed-the-zombie: @addison-smith  
[12m] zed-the-zombie: drop dead gorgeous.  
[34s] addison.smith: you aren't too bad yourself, zombie

* * *

_zed-the-zombie posted a photo._  
[Wide-Shot of an extremely clean clothes closet, shoes lined up, shirts organized by color, pants folded over neatly in the sleeves.]

Addison gasps when she sees it and her finger hovers the photo, her usual automatic like disappearing. She refuses to like his photo. How dare he be so—organized.

She opens up the comment bar, muttering to herself all the while.

addison.smith: jerk

She locks her phone and wanders to the kitchen in search for a snack, still completely peeved about Zed's non-sloppy habits. Was the universe just out to prove her wrong? She knows he posted that picture just to be a smart-ass too; they had a conversation about how messy her closet was less than a week ago. Zed and Addison have been talking for about five months now and he was growing on her, she'll admit it.

Zombies weren't that bad once you got to know them.

When she returns to the couch with a ham and cheese Hot Pocket in hand she goes back to watching her show, giving her all in sitting there and eating her food and not thinking about Zed and his amazingly-clean closet. She doesn't check her phone again until she's finished eating.

zed-the-zombie: I think you're just jealous.

The public eats the words up. The comment already has 76 likes and it's only been up for ten minutes. The winky-face emoji trailing after his words just makes the response worse and yet it's a smile Addison's struggling to keep off her face.

He's so annoying.

And yet . . .

(He's really not.)

* * *

_addison.smith commented on an older post._

[3m] addison.smith: you should dm me if you ever have the time  
[1m] zed-the-zombie: oh yeah?  
[24s] addison.smith: yeah.

Zed's sure she comments on one of the oldest posts she can find to try and keep it out of the public's eye. It makes him smile. Without anymore delay, Zed goes to his Direct Messages and finds Addison's name.

zed-the-zombie: hey gorgeous

Addison smiles down at her phone as it rings with the new message, Zed's words displaying across her lock-screen. She can't type out her reply fast enough.

addison.smith: hey zombie  
addison.smith: miss me?

zed-the-zombie: always

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright fine you caught me the picture with the coffee and the green hair I based on that one picture of Milo but that's it I swear. If you enjoyed feel free to leave a comment or a kudo and thanks for all the support guys! :)


	6. Home [Part One]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You okay?” Zed asks quietly from above her head.  
> “I’m fine,” she dismisses. 
> 
> (She's not fine.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I didn't want to cut this into two parts and I desperately tried to keep it as one but it just spiraled and got really long so there is a part two to this. I'm finally getting around to some of the prompts I got from you guys. For everyone who has submitted an idea, I will be writing them out of order but no worries, I will get to them all.
> 
> Thank you all so much for the support and drop a comment with your thoughts if you enjoyed! :)
> 
> ///
> 
> Prompt:  
> Addison has a panic attack and Zed calms her down.
> 
> Genre: Romance  
> Rating: PG
> 
> Special thanks to Guest (The Mysterious Pen) over on FF.net for this idea!

**Home  
Part One**

 

"I really don't want to go to class."

"Coming from the Straight-A student? I'm appalled."

"Garg," Bonzo agrees from where he's leaning against the wall.

Addison exhales, shifting in Zed's hold. The couple are nestled against the side of a green locker in a gap between one stretch of lockers and the next. Bonzo is to the left of them, one shoulder pressed to the wall and Bree's next to him, running her fingers up and down the strap of her school bag idly. Eliza rounds out the semi-circle of misfits, standing partially in the hallway with Bree on one side and a locker on the other.

Zed's back is to the locker and Addison's huddled against his chest, his arms loosely wrapped around her stomach, not constraining in any way so that she can freely move around if she wishes to do so.

Eliza's sharp words did have a point. Addison wasn't one to ever complain about class or attempt to ditch one. Zed was a B+ student on average but even he took a zero here and there when he just wanted a break and skipping was the only reliable option.

He doesn't think he's ever heard Addison say the words 'I really don't want to go to class' in the months he's known her. It wasn't like her.

"You okay?" Zed asks quietly from above her head and she offers no answer besides an exhausted sigh. She slips one of her hands over top one of his. Her skin is cool to the touch, freezing even, and that's saying a lot coming from an undead creature that can't produce heat and runs cold all of the time. "Addy?"

He prompts gently and all their friends look worried about her when her gaze flickers over each one of their faces. "I'm fine," she dismisses, trying her best to keep her voice more alive than she currently feels, "I'm just really tired and stressed out. I also don't feel like dealing with a science lab today."

"You don't have to worry about that," Bree says reassuringly, "Eliza and I can do the lab and all you'll have to do is the notes so that it at least looks like you're working when Mrs. Tim does her rounds." As if triggered by the name, Eliza frowns and a look of pure repulsion crosses over her features.

"I understand that we're zombies and that we haven't had the best schooling system over the years but I've never had a teacher  _hover_  as much as that  _gar-gar-zonga_  does during labs."

Bonzo chuckles at the wording Eliza uses and if Addison wasn't so out of it she would've pointed out that calling a teacher  _that_  wasn't going to help anything. Addison had been trying to learn zombie for a while and she had the hang of it for the most part and now that she really knew what Eliza was saying when she muttered something under her breath or started complaining in zombie to Zed about something annoying someone did in class she was more than amused at Eliza's very advanced yet very vulgar vocabulary.

Addison never in a million years would've thought that zombies had more curse words than humans or that they had so many different words for the same profanity in English.

Zed rolls his eyes at Eliza's foul language and starts to stroke the back of Addison's hand with a thumb in a soothing back-and-forth motion. He might not be able to help with any physical ailments of hers but he could possibly help with calming some of the more stressful ones that resided within her brain.

Addison appreciates the action more than words can describe and feels some of her stress already beginning to melt away as she turns her head and rests it against Zed's jacket, something tranquil settling inside of her. He's always exactly what she needs.

"If you're skipping class today I'm totally down. Mrs. Tim can su—"

"I didn't say I was going to skip class," Addison denies quietly, not bothering to move away from Zed's chest so that she's looking at Eliza while answering her; honestly she just doesn't have the strength to do so in the first place. "I just said that I really don't want to go."

"Eliza you are literally the worst influence on this planet," Zed voices.

Eliza scowls at him in response. "No I'm not. Everything I do has good reason," she mutters defensively and Zed reaches an arm out haphazardly to playfully swat at her. She slaps his hand away before it can reach her own arm. "At least  _I_  don't act like a child," she grumbles pointedly and Zed gasps dramatically.

"How dare you." He states, resting his chin atop Addison's platinum hair, "Take it back."

"Example A," Eliza chimes, crossing her arms.

Bonzo and Bree glance at each other. They both know where this exchange is going.

"I don't like you."

"Example B."

Addison's eyes slide closed. Her arms are wrapped around Zed's lower waist, her head fully buried into his chest now. She can feel every jostle from him moving around and talking but she still feels more at peace like this, with him, than at home in her own room.

Home hasn't really felt like home lately.

She knows that's where a lot of her stress is coming from. Zed's hold on her tightens when he feels her relax against him and he doesn't want her to fall so he keeps a grip on her that's just enough; lenient and snug all at the same time. Oddly enough, Zed and Eliza's bickering puts Addison right to sleep.

It's the best sleep she's had in a while but it doesn't last long. In what feels like only seconds later, when in reality it's about ten minutes, the bell shrieks, signaling it's time for class. Addison jolts awake, jerking in Zed's firm grip and when he feels her start he presses a loving kiss to her hair, giving her a gentle squeeze around the waist.

"You're okay," he whispers, just loud enough that she can hear the deep tone of his voice and know that it's him, "I got you."

Addison smiles. "I know," she sleepily replies.

The hallway is loud now. Kids are rushing past, shoes squeaking on polished floors as they hurry off to their classes, laughter and chatter amplified and echoing all around the group clustered in the corner. It's all so loud. Bree and Eliza have moved out into the hallway a little more, standing guard over their friends, making sure that no one tries to cut directly through their little circle as an alternative route to their destination.

"You sure you don't want to skip?" Eliza whips around at Zed's words, mouth gaping.

"What? You—and  _I'm_  the bad influence?"

Bonzo can't hold back his laugh. Addison yawns and pulls back from Zed, shaking her head as she reaches down for the heavy schoolbooks awaiting her on the ground. "No, no I'm fine." The bell rings again, warning them that now they only have five minutes to get to their respective classes.

When Addison turns back around, Zed's gathering his own belongings from the floor but he doesn't look convinced that she's fine. "It's really no big deal," he tries again, shouldering his bag, "we could go to my place so you could get some rest." Addison runs a hand over his jacket, smoothing out a particularly noticeable crevice.

"I'm okay Zed, really. Now get to class before you and Bonzo are late." She has to reach up on her tiptoes to plant a quick kiss on his lips and Zed still doesn't look fully swayed but he lets it slide. "Love you," Addison murmurs as she pulls back and the look of worry that was on Zed's face is replaced by an all-out grin.

She's noticed that recently, or possibly since forever she isn't quite sure, whenever an  _I love you_  leaves one of them, Zed smiles like he's the luckiest zombie on the planet. "Wrap it up lovebirds," Eliza says from her spot next to Bree and Zed chuckles before dipping down and leaving a purposely sloppy kiss on her cheek.

Addison can't get the words she wants to yell at him out fast enough.

"Love you too, Addy!" Zed calls as he grabs Bonzo by the arm and takes off down the hallway in the opposite direction that the girls go.

"It's a good thing you love him," Bree remarks and Addison finds herself smiling as she falls in step with them as they begin to make their way to science.

"Yeah. It is."

* * *

"I'm going to off myself in five seconds if Mrs. Tim doesn't shut up, I swear." Addison has trouble not laughing at Eliza's bitterly whispered comment and even Bree, whose busy scribbling down notes from the whiteboard, has to erase a word because it made her lose focus for a second to chuckle and she ended up writing down the wrong thing.

Science was . . . seriously more boring than usual.

Addison decides right then and there that the next time Zed asks her to skip she's going to accept the offer, Straight-As be damned. Mrs. Tim had been blabbering about chemical reactions for nearly thirty minutes now and things didn't seem to be getting any better. Plus they were supposed to be doing a lab today that was going to count as a quiz grade but at this rate, with how slowly Mrs. Tim was talking, Addison didn't think that lab was going to happen.

"Okay so how do we kill a zombie? Pencil to the neck?" Eliza whispers, boredom and annoyance obvious in her expression. She looks from Addison to Bree. "Z-Band malfunction?"

"Not funny," Addison finally says, attention now on her friend instead of the teacher.

Eliza groans. "I rather be in the basement than in this class."

Bree tries, and fails, to hide her smile in her shirt sleeve. Addison pokes Eliza in the shoulder with the eraser end of her pencil, "Lighten up girl," she whispers and Eliza doesn't look impressed.

"If I throw a lamp at you, will you lighten up?" She fires back, narrowing her eyes.

Though it might seem like an aggressive action to anyone else, Addison knows it's Eliza's way of communicating. Sarcasm is her one and only line of defensive. Addison and Bree have also come to learn that all the sarcasm she uses with them, along with Bonzo and Zed, is out of pure love.

It warms Addison's heart to know that she's part of such a tight-knit circle.

It warms her heart to know that she's trusted . . . and by Eliza, no less.

Bree loses it.

Addison thinks it's because of Eliza's tone of voice—how it's completely and utterly serious as she says the comeback—and everyone in the classroom turns towards their table at the sound of her laughter. It takes everything in Addison to keep her poker face as Mrs. Tim makes her way over and glances from a laughing Bree to a stone-faced Eliza, hands on her hips.

"Is something funny over here, ladies?" She questions, raising a bushy eyebrow.

Mrs. Tim was a scrawny, middle-aged woman with light brown hair that she always pulled into a messy bun and shaggy eyebrows that looked more like hairy insects rather than eyebrows. She fits the bill of a great teacher—doesn't discriminate, not too strict with grades, nice when she teaches—but it's her voice that gets on everyone's nerves and removes her from ever making the 'great teachers' list.

Her tone is a mix between a monotonous drone and nails on a chalkboard.

"Well—"

"No ma'am," Addison interrupts, not trusting that whatever was about to come out of Eliza's mouth was going to be anything less than an insult. The three of them had plans that upcoming weekend. Addison couldn't risk Eliza landing herself in detention. Though there was no guarantee that it wouldn't happen later in the week when Addison couldn't keep an eye on her.

Mrs. Tim stares at the three of them for a moment more before turning around to face the rest of the class. "Alright class. We have enough time left to start on our lab. You won't be able to finish today but you can get started and remember—it counts as a quiz grade. Take your time. There is no rush. Now, grab your googles, equipment and get working."

Addison jabs the sharp point of her pencil into Eliza's arm. "You're welcome," she says and Eliza rolls her eyes and pushes away from the table and makes her way over to the supplies as Bree moves to get them googles.

Eliza and Bree get started on the lab within a few minutes, the two able to work together without too much disputing as they get their Bunsen burner up and running and sparks are flying from all around the room as all the other students softly talk and get their own burners going.

Addison watches her friends work, grateful they were okay with her sitting this one out.

She felt tired again. Drained. Defeated. Though all she was doing was leaning on an elbow and jotting down notes when Eliza or Bree needed her to, it seemed like the most demanding task in the whole entire world.

Her thoughts begin to wander while Bree and Eliza fuss over re-lighting the flame the latter accidentally put out (only because Bree nearly turned her hair black instead of green as Eliza later claims) and Addison finds herself thinking about her parents.

She didn't know if it was the upcoming re-election or because her father was coming under fire for having a zombie-only patrol force instead of a non-biased one, but her parents were fighting. A lot. Things had escalated from angry muttering in the mornings to screaming matches late at night in the kitchen and the stress was wearing on Addison.

She was losing sleep at night and getting up too early in the morning because of her father slamming the fridge out of spite while her mother was still sleeping and then her mother doing the same to him on his days off. She wasn't eating as much as she should've been either, too busy with reassuring her mother that she was going to get re-elected or helping her father look up discrimination laws.

Helping them would then push her homework back so that Addison found herself taking midnight showers and doing algebra until nearly two in the morning and then being up by five when school wasn't even until seven.

On top of all of that, her teachers had suddenly decided that now was a great time to unload every test in existence. Addison had a test every day this week, along with the next one, and none of them were easy feats either. She had to study for each one when then meant she wasn't getting to sleep until three.

Homework was big too and she couldn't turn in anything late or else she wouldn't get credit and if she didn't get credit her grade would go down and if her grade went down her parents would yell at her instead of each other and Addison doesn't want that because if that happens she'll probably just burst into tears because so much is going on and she wouldn't be able to handle the questions and the prodding.

It's like she's drowning.

She's drowning in a box and the top is closed, caging her in, locking her in and her nails are scabbing at the top but the lock isn't budging because she can't reach it because it's on the outside and she can't get out and the water is filling and filling and filling.

Past her feet, covering her knees, cold and bitter as it nips at her exposed skin, soaking through her clothes, suffocating, suffocating, suffocating.

It's like she's being buried alive, panic seizing her, freezing her veins, panic in her eyes, panic everywhere. Is it quick if you're buried alive? No, it's not, Addison thinks as the dirt fills in around her, encasing her in a tomb like clay in a mold. She digs and digs and digs, her hands burning as the dirt rubs them raw and builds under her nails and God she can't get out of here, she's going to  _die_  here—

Her vision begins to go, black dots swimming and swarming as her hearing goes muffled. She thinks her hands are shaking—but how are they shaking if she can't move in this box?—and there's a sudden pressure on her back that's heavy and unwelcome. She tries to hit it away, a hand shooting out into the blackness and reaching nothing, and she squeezes her eyes shut because the world's spinning far too fast for her to process.

She can't breathe. Oh God. She can't breathe.

The dirt is filling her lungs, piling into her mouth, burying her alive. The water's filling her stomach, expanding it far too wide, shutting her insides down, drowning her. Addison's final thought is  _I'm too young to die_  and then the world explodes into color around her.


	7. Home [Part Two]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hey, hey, hey I'm right here. I'm right here baby okay? I’m right here. I got you, I got you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for the super long delay with this. Life just gets in the way sometimes...
> 
> So just to let you all know, in total this prompt amassed to about 6k words? I really didn't know it was gonna turn out this long so sorry about that. But that's why it had to be split in two for those of you wondering. Thank you all for the support and leave a comment with your thoughts below if you'd like to; they mean a lot!
> 
> ///
> 
> Prompt:  
> Addison has a panic attack and Zed calms her down.
> 
> Genre: Romance and Hurt/Comfort  
> Rating: PG
> 
> Again, special thanks to Guest (The Mysterious Pen) over on FF.net for this idea!

**Home**   
**Part Two**

 

"Addy? Addy. I'm right here, Addy. We're right here. I got you. We got you." Her hearing still isn't clear enough so she can't distinguish the voice but it sounds strangely comforting. When Addison opens her eyes she's met by a grey-titled floor. Her hands are braced on the title, spread out in front of her and her heart feels like it's about to beat out of her chest.

The room she's in is silent but not and when she breathes in she can feel the same heaviness from before on her upper back. It takes her two more shaky inhales to realize that it's a hand, not a boulder holding her down.

"We got you, okay?" The previous voice says, closer to her ear this time. Addison can hear the tension in their words and feel the tremble of the hand resting gently on her back. Someone moves in front of her, getting down on their knees, resting both hands on her shoulders, not pushing her to move or to look up but calmly encouraging her to talk.

"Addison? Hey. Can you hear me Addy?" Her hearing still isn't cleared up.

She hears more muffled voices in the background. Then the same voice says, "Somebody go and get Zed," and something inside of her clings to that name—it's safe that names safe that person's safe he's safe—but she's shook from the thought when something cold touches her left arm. It makes her flinch.

"Where can we take her?" A different voice asks—Bree?—panicked and uneasy.

"Addy," the soft voice says again, this time closer to her, like they're requesting a secret that's locked away, "Addy where do you feel safe?"

The words click. Her brain files through multiple things.

Sitting on the wooden swing in her backyard. Zed. Snatching her favorite seat in the back corner of her favorite movie theater. Being near Zed. Burrowed in the library's big blue chair with a Sarah Dessen novel in her hands. In Zed's arms. Snacking on pizza rolls while watching the latest episode of The Bachelor. Zed's house. Helping Zoey teach Puppy dog tricks. Zombietown. At the beach, sand in-between her toes and the early morning sun on her back.

Is it wrong that her own home doesn't make the list?

"Safe?" Addison gets out, breathing still too heavy, black dots flickering in and out of her sight.

"Safe," the voice—Eliza?—confirms. "Where do you feel safe here, Addison? Come on. Talk to me."

_This, is where we had our first punch._

"Safe room," she mumbles. Bree finishes the thought for her.

"I know where. Come on."

Then Addison's moving. She thinks she hears someone yelling but the two girls helping her walk down the hallway pay no mind. The walk is long and tedious and when she hears the hiss of a metal door she lifts her head and feels instant relief flood her when she sees the stacked bookshelves and grey walls.

Eliza and Bree carefully bring her down to the ground, her back leaning against an icy wall. Eliza lifts a hand to her shoulder and their concerned faces flutter in and out of Addison's vision. "Hold on Addy," Bree whispers, brushing a piece of hair from Addison's face.

"Help's coming." Eliza says but it's like Addison can barely hear her.

The water's around her again,  _rising-rising-rising_  and she can't get away from it and it's at her chin it's swallowing her whole she's not going to make it she's not going to make it she's not—

"Hey, hey, hey I'm right here. I'm right here baby okay? I'm right here. I got you, I got you."

She knows that voice. She blinks and her vision clears enough that she can see him. Zed. He's crouching down in front of her, hands hovering by her shoulders, unsure if touch is the right way to go. His face is full of fear.

"Zed?" She whispers and when she reaches for him both of his hands wrap around hers.

"Yeah Addy. I'm here. I'm right here." He turns his head to the terrified Eliza and Bree. "What happened?" Zed asks as he gently drops his girlfriend's hand and switches to running his hands up and down her arms in, what he hopes, is a comforting motion.

He doesn't have too much experience with panic attacks. But he has a basic knowledge of them and he knows full well he won't be able to help the situation any if he's in the dark about what had even caused the episode in the first place.

"She was taking notes one minute and the next she was on the floor," Eliza supplies, "then we panicked and maybe walked her out of class without permission." Zed takes the information in but something still doesn't add up.

"But what happened? What made her go into one?"

"Being overwhelmed, maybe?" Bree ventures, looking from one zombie to the other. "I know things have been really bad at home for her so maybe she just got to thinking about it and freaked herself out?"

Zed turns back to Addison, whose eyes are darting around frantic. "She told me everything was okay, that her parents were working things out," he mumbles, looking lost, and if this was a different time you could say he even looked a little betrayed and Eliza picks up on the look faster than Bree does.

"Zed," she snaps, "you need to focus. If we can't calm her down we'll have to take her to nurse and the nurse will have to call her parents and then she'll have to talk to her parents about it." Eliza doesn't leave him any room to argue. "You're the only one who can calm her down. So stop sulking and help her."

Zed looks back to Addison and her eyes meet his hesitantly.

What are the steps to stop a panic attack again? Zed struggles to remember. The last time he heard them was . . . when his mom was still alive. Something painful stabs at his heart. No. No, he needs to focus. He needs to focus so he can help Addison. Steps. The steps. What were the steps?

"Addison," he says, voice firm yet gentle, "hey. Focus on me okay? Okay?" She does, bringing her head up so she can fully look at him. Zed smiles, coaching her on. "Yes that's great. Stick with me okay? Listen, you're having a panic attack. I can't help you until you realize what's going on."

Step One: Recognize that you're having a panic attack.

It takes a moment for Zed's words to reach her through the fog surrounding her. A panic attack? Her? She's never had a panic attack before. How was that even possible? As if reading her thoughts, Zed grabs one of her hands and squeezes gently. "Panic attacks can happen to anyone at any time but that's okay because you're okay. Now I need you to close your eyes. Can you do that for me, baby?"

Step Two: Close your eyes.

She can but she really doesn't want to. She likes being able to see him.

Seeing him . . . it reassures her that she's going to be okay because Zed would never let anything happen to her. "I'm right here," he vows, squeezing her hand again and bringing the other one to rest on her thigh. "I'm with you." Addison closes her eyes. "You're doing great, Addy. Now I need you to breathe with me, okay? Big deep breaths."

Step Three: Use deep breathing.

He makes an audible inhale and exhale and Addison struggles to repeat it at first. "You're okay. You're okay." He promises, and after a few more shaky ones her breathing finally starts to even out. "Amazing. You're doing amazing," Zed says, "Last thing, alright?"

Step Four: Find and focus on something that grounds you.

"I need you to focus on something you like. It could be your favorite thing in the whole-wide world—like cookie dough ice-cream—or your happy place, or even a person. Whatever it is, I need you to focus on that and only that and then it'll be over and you'll be better."

Step Five: There is no Step Five.

"What's step five, Mommy?"

Zed's mother smiles down at her son, ruffling his beautiful green hair. "There is no step five, honey."

Zed tilts his head, "Why not Momma?"

His mother chuckles and hoists him up and into her arms, hugging his tiny body to hers. "Because by step five . . . you're all better."

Addison opens her eyes.

Zed smiles when he sees her beautiful baby blues. Addison's gaze moves from his face, memorizing every line and every dip, to Eliza's beside him. She looks upset but there's a curve to her eyebrows that shows she's angry too. Addison worries for a second that she's mad at her but then she sees her glance at Zed and it's suddenly clear that the anger is directed at him. Finally Addison turns her head and sees Bree next to her and the fellow cheerleader looks worried sick, mouth twisted into a frown that looks unnatural on her regularly joyful features, her eyes full of distress.

Addison exhales.

She feels better. Her breathing is back to normal and her head feels cleared. There's no black crawling into her vision and her hearing isn't muffled. She brings her attention back to Zed. Their hands are still clasped together in front of them and he smiles at her before abruptly squeezing once and then letting go. She's confused for a moment and a  _wait_ almost leaves her lips but then the answer as to why he had let go in the first place is revealed when Bree squishes her in a tight hug.

"I'm so happy you're okay," she whispers before pulling back and Addison chuckles.

"Thanks for getting me here," she replies quietly, grateful she was there. Grateful that she even remembered about the safe room.

"Of course," she pauses and then holds out a hand, "do you want to stand up?"

Addison takes her hand and lifts herself up, Bree assisting her as she goes. Zed and Eliza follow and once she's standing Addison makes her way over to Eliza and hugs her. Eliza stiffens at the contact. "Thank you for taking care of me," she mumbles and what sounds like Eliza trying to scoff reaches her ears. Keyword—trying.

Because her scoff doesn't sound like a scoff. Instead it sounds more like a watery exhale as her arms slowly wrap around Addison so that she can hug her friend back. "Don't scare us like that again," Eliza whispers back, trying to sound commanding but her voice doesn't reach the tone it needs to.

Zed watches the two girls interact with a soft smile on his face and when Addison pulls back and glances over at him he feels like a weight's been lifted off his shoulders. Thank God she was okay.

When a random freshman had burst into his math class and interrupted the teacher to tell Zed he was needed, he was confused. The freshman was a fellow football player, one of the backup linemen, and he was kind, but Zed hadn't really talked to him unless he was dragged into the conversation by someone else. When Addison and Eliza would meet Zed at practice, the boy always greeted them with a friendly hello and the three would strike up a discussion about computers or disliked teachers. He was a nice kid.

"Needed?" Zed had asked, gaze switching between the math teacher and the freshman, who had then nodded.

"It's Addison. I think she's having a panic attack." The rest of what he said had fallen on deaf ears. All Zed knew was that he needed to get to Addison. He had stood up from his desk, one of his spiral notebooks sliding off the table and hitting the floor. "Eliza said for someone to get you and no one was moving so I decided—"

"Thank you. Thank you," Zed turned away from the freshman to look at the teacher in the front of the room. He was standing stagnant in front of the whiteboard, green marker uncapped and suspended before a line that he's supposed to be turning into a four. "Sir, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry but I have to go."

"Zar gong?" Bonzo queries, looking up at Zed.

Zed had nodded, "Yeah buddy. It's fine."

Bonzo looked bewildered after that, "Zong zag zig. Garga zang gar gong?"

Zed had already gotten to the doorway, edging his way out of the completely silent classroom, ignoring the dirty looks some of the other students are giving him for disturbing their lesson. The look he gives Bonzo is one of sheer determination and absolute commitment and it makes Bonzo take back his previously asked question almost immediately.

"She's worth it, Bonzo. Always."

And then Zed was gone, following the freshman down the hallway and leaving his math class behind. When they got to the girls' science class and discovered that they weren't there, Zed had ran his hands through his hair worriedly.

"They were right there," the freshman says resolutely and Zed believes him. The teacher towards the front of the room looks downright pissed.

"They walked out," Mrs. Tim says with a hint of disbelief to her voice, "they walked right out. All three of them!" Zed fidgets, dread clawing at his insides. Where would they have gone? To the nurse? Mrs. Tim then realizes that Zed isn't in her class and her disbelief doubles. "And what are you doing here, Mr. Necrodopoulus? You aren't in this class."

"I'm looking for my girlfriend," he retorts, meeting Mrs. Tim's widened eyes stubbornly.

"You can't just waltz into another class—"

The thought hits him like a freight train slamming into him. "Safe room," he mumbles more to himself than to the freshman beside him, "the zombie safe room."

He's already moving towards the door by the time Mrs. Tim is screeching, "Mr. Necrodopoulus you have detention!" and Zed couldn't bring himself to care.

He still doesn't. Sunday detention was worth being there for her.

Addison brings him back to the present by wrapping her arms around his torso and Zed's fall around her waist, hugging her close. He leans his head down and rests it on one of her shoulders, breathing out. He turns his head so his lips are near her neck.

"You should've told me," he murmurs against her skin and he feels her grip on him tighten.

"I didn't want to bother you."

The words make Zed pull back.

The action is so abrupt that Addison pulls back herself, her arms dropping from around him as she goes to take a step back. "Hey," he whispers, stopping her. He reaches his arms back out and rests his hands on her hips. "None of that." Addison opens her mouth to interject but Zed cuts her off before she can. "I'm here for you to bother."

"Zed—"

He shakes his head, "No, no I'm serious. Bother me with everything. Call me if you need to rant about the latest episode of The Bachelor. Text me if you need somebody to talk to about cookie dough ice-cream during class. Face-time me about what to wear and if blue looks better on you than pink and even though the answer is always going to be pink and even though we're always going to argue about it for twenty minutes I want you to call me anyway. Because I am here for you to bother, no matter what."

He leans down and presses a quick kiss to her lips.

"I am here for you. I'm here for you to question, answer, kiss, hug, love, hate—I'm here for everything. Addy. I'm here for you to lean on." He steals another kiss. "I'm in this for the long haul." Addison's eyes shine with so much adoration that it makes Zed grin.

"Hey," she whispers, reaching up and kissing him, grazing a hand across his jaw. "I'm in this for the long haul too." Zed can't help it. He kisses her again, deeper this time but not too deep because they have an audience. Addison's cheeks are flushed red by the end.

"Mrs. Necrodopoulus," he asks jokingly and Addison swears her heart speeds up way too fast at even the thought of being a Necrodopoulus, her cheeks flaming. Zed looks like he's on top of the world. "Would you care to join me in skipping the rest of the school day?"

Addison pretends to think about it for a moment, though she already had her answer before he had even asked the question. Her answer was  _yes_  as soon as she heard the words Mrs. Necrodopoulus leave his mouth. "I would love to Mr. Necrodopoulus."

"I'm coming too," Eliza announces and then lightly elbows Bree in the side. "You in, Cheerleader?"

Bree looks from Eliza to Zed and then finally to Addison who mouths  _do it!_ with an eager smile. "What the hay," Bree says enthusiastically, "I'm in."

"Alright," Zed exclaims. "I say ice-cream and an afternoon movie? We can grab Bonzo on the way out."

"I'm down," agrees Addison and Zed presses a kiss to her temple.

Eliza's already opening the safe room door, looking happier than she should about the prospect of skipping school all-together. "Let's ditch this mother—"

"Don't finish that sentence!" Zed interrupts and when Eliza looks back at him he's playfully covering Addison's ears. "There's children present, Eliza, c'mon." Addison swats his hands away but she's laughing and so is Zed and even Bree and Eliza have smiles on their faces as all four of them leave the safe room.

They grab their book bags from their classes and as Addison and Bree wait in the hallway for Zed and Eliza to snatch Bonzo from math class, Addison finds her mind wandering again. But this time, it's not about anything bad.

Addison's never been one to have panic attacks. She didn't think it was even possible for someone like her—considering her moods were always on the upside rather than the down—but today she was proven wrong. Panic attacks could happen to anyone, including her, and they could happen at any time.

She almost drowned. She was almost buried alive.

But then she found her way back to surface with help from Bree, Eliza and Zed. With help from her best friends. They all saved her and Zed . . . Zed was something else. Having Bree and Eliza at her side through the whole ordeal helped her immensely but Zed had grounded her. Zed had brought her back from sea, Zed had grabbed her hand through the mounds of dirt and pulled her out.

Home hasn't really felt like home lately.

It isn't until now Addison realizes that home doesn't have to be a place. Home could be anything you wanted it to be. Home could be a person. Home was wherever you felt the safest. Home was where the heart was.

Zed was—is—Addison's home and she's more than okay with that.

As Zed comes out of the classroom with Eliza in front of him and Bonzo tailing behind him, a grin on his face and delight etched into his features, Addison's heart thumps a little faster. As Zed tosses an arm over her shoulder and whispers, "Have I mentioned that you look stunning today, Mrs. Necrodopoulus?" Addison feels her heart skip a beat.

And as the five of them walk out of school, Addison feels whole.


	8. I Like Me Better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Addison discovers, and makes fun of, Zed’s Spotify playlist and when he retaliates it turns into an all-out war.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To sum this one-shot up: mature-ish material in the beginning, some humor and fighting in the middle and then some more mature-ish material to wrap things up at the end. Also for this story they are both sophomores so they've been dating for about a year or so.  
> Quick Disclaimer: Zed and Addison's (mostly Zed's) views on music do not reflect my own opinion . . . just putting it out there so that no one comes after me. XD
> 
> ///
> 
> Prompt:  
> None.
> 
> Genre: Romance and Humor  
> Rating: High PG/Low PG-13

 

**8**  
**I Like Me Better (When I'm With You)**

 

The first time she hears it, he's in the shower.

They're at this point in their relationship where they keep clothes at each other's houses and her parents aren't home to throw a fit about a zombie, let alone her zombie boyfriend, using their shower so as soon as the pair make it through the front door Addison pushes him towards the bathroom. When Zed attempts to object from the bathroom doorway, Addison doesn't give him any room to argue as she shoves a bath towel and some clothes into his arms.

"Zed, I love you, but you reek from practice and I'm not coming near you until you smell better." Her nose scrunches up as if to prove her point and Zed chuckles, dropping the pile of necessities on the sink counter beside him.

He lifts an arm, sniffs, and his humorous expression immediately drops as he coughs and waves a hand. "Yeah okay, you win. I smell more like death than usual."

Addison smiles as she turns and starts to make her way to the kitchen, dropping her bag by a stool and making a beeline for the snack cabinet. "Hey Addy," Zed calls as he strips out of his tee-shirt.

"Yeah?"

"Would you like to join—"

"Stop stalling and get washed, Zed." She hears him mumble something and then close the door as she settled on finding an after-school snack.

She was now sitting on the couch in the living room watching some cooking show as she finished off her second strawberry pop tart, mind split between thinking about how willing her parents would be in letting two sixteen-year-olds hang out in Zed's empty house with Eliza, Bonzo and Bree for a fun night in that weekend and on the small fact that Zed was, at that very moment, getting a shower less than twenty feet away from her. And to  _get_  a shower you had to be—

Addison shuts that thought down fast. She blames it on what Zed had asked before closing the door to the bathroom. She knew he had meant it as a joke, a frisky jab at where they were at in their relationship because her parents weren't home, but Addison's been thinking about it for far too long now and can't seem to stop.

They had their heated moments—of course they did, how could they not?—and Addison was fine with where they were at. She was completely, one-hundred percent fine with everything.

So . . . why was she still thinking about Zed in the shower?

Thankfully, it doesn't last long before her attention is grabbed by something else a little while later. She hears the water shut off and that's when she hears the singing, slightly shrill and abundantly careless, but captivating as ever.

(Whenever Zed sings, good or bad, it's something out a of fairy-tale. Always.)

The longer she listens, the more she feels like she knows the song. It starts to bug her that she can't think of who sings it so she pulls out her phone and brings up her Spotify, because they both share one account, and once it loads she laughs.

Taylor Swift.

Her big, bad zombie boyfriend is singing along to Taylor Swift?

Not that there's anything wrong with that, T-Swift is up there on Addison's favorite singers list, but just knowing that he knows all the words makes her chortle. Skimming through the rest of his playlist—dubbed  _SHOWER JAMZ_  with yes, a  _Z_ —Addison feels suddenly inspired.

Inspired with an urge to tease that is.

She can't wait.

It takes Zed about five minutes to get dressed and when he comes out and flops down on the couch next to her with his green hair still somewhat damp and smelling more like body wash than death itself, Addison finds her thoughts drifting again. She would just love to reach over and rake her hands through—

"What're we watching?" He asks, gaze directed at the TV.

His deep voice cuts through Addison's thoughts, efficiently stopping them before they had roamed too far. "A cooking show, I think?"

"Good choice."

They sit together in comfortable silence for a few minutes and Addison isn't actually listening to the woman listing off directions about how long to sear salmon for on the show, instead occupied with shooing away immodest thoughts and desperately trying to focus on the matter at hand which was making fun of her boyfriend for what he had on his Spotify playlist and not wanting to kiss him senseless.

"So," she says, keeping her tone light, "Taylor Swift?"

Zed flips towards her, "I knew it!" He cries and Addison can't help but laugh. "I knew you were going to make fun of me." He sighs, running a hand through his wet hair. "Listen Addy, there's an unspoken rule that we don't make fun of each other's playlists—"

Addison mutes the TV, stopping the woman mid-rant about how to not overdress the side salad. Zed snaps his mouth shut, sensing he's said something he shouldn't have. "What unspoken rule?" Addison inquires, turning her body fully towards him. Zed doesn't know if it's better to answer or to just stay quiet.

"W-Well," he starts to stutter but then Addison's eyes widen as she realizes what her boyfriend is implying. Zed's hands are already up in surrender before she even begins to speak.

"You said you loved my playlist!"

"No I . . . okay in my defense when you had asked you were holding a plastic cup and I knew that if I said no I was going to get whacked so I might've twisted the truth just a  _little_  bit . . . "

Addison stares daggers. "What's wrong with my playlist, Zed?"

Zed's mouth falls open because there's no way in hell she really wants him to answer that. He'll be a little more than undead by the time she's through with him if he does. But she's looking at him expectantly and  _oh man_  he's really going to have to answer her. "Addy," he tries, voice weak, "there's nothing  _wrong_  with it per say—"

Addison's glare deepens and Zed knows he can't beat around the bush any longer.

"It's just all really," he struggles to find the right word, "girly?"

And no Zed, no, no, no that was  _not_  the right word to use because Addison's somewhat composed look suddenly morphs to one of complete fury. Zed cowers just a little bit, pushing himself into the back cushion of the couch and he's never been one to enjoy superhero stories but in that moment he's really wishing he could turn invisible or teleport to Thailand because he wasn't going to survive this.

"How is my playlist girly?" Addison asks, deliberate and calm.

"W-Well girly really isn't—"

"Zed," she warns, refusing to let him go off topic and her boyfriend looks so terrified that if she wasn't currently offended she would've laughed outright because of the look that's plastered across his face.

"We Found Love, You Belong With Me, just to uh, name two . . . "

Addison reaches over and smacks him in the arm and Zed winces because damn that hurt—for such a small girl she packed a big punch—and his girlfriend doesn't even look regretful afterwards because why should she be? He was belittling her Spotify playlist!

"Do not diss on Rihanna and I just caught you listening to Taylor Swift in the shower so you can't say anything about her and besides, You Belong With Me is iconic, Zed, you know that."

Zed shrugs, "Okay, fine. But One Direction? Really, Addy?"

Addison's mouth drops open. "You can't not like at least one 1D song—"

"You also have not one, but two Shawn Mendes songs when the dude can't even sing."

"He can sing!" She protests, jumping up from the couch and jabbing a finger in Zed's direction. "If he couldn't sing he would've have half as many songs as he does now!" Zed stands up as well, facing her, their bodies a few inches apart from one another. Zed looks a cross between slightly smug about his knowledge of what was 'good' music and what was 'bad' music and slightly like he was enjoying this debate a little more than he actually should've.

Addison's never seen Zed smug and all she wants to do is wipe that small smirk right off his face. And though her hormones interrupt and say that he looks sexy right now with the mussed hair and the smirk and the obvious puffing of the chest Addison shoves those thoughts away—yet she doesn't disagree—and focuses back to the task at hand. "He can sing," she states. Zed raises an eyebrow.

Addison pushes away another onslaught of emotions from her avid hormones.

"And Shut Up and Dance? If  _that_  isn't an overused song, I don't know what is." Addison's own eyebrows knit together as her lips curl into a frown. He wants to play hardball with her? Fine. Bring it on.

"At least I don't have every wannabe boy band on my girly playlist." Zed looks like a fish out of water, mouth opening and closing—floundering, really. "The Vamps? In Real Life? Everyone knows no one will be able to top the Backstreet Boys in that category."

"That's unfair," he responds, looking down at his feet. Then in a low mumble, "No one compares to the Backstreet Boys . . . "

Addison barrels on, undeterred. "And All Star.  _All Star_. As if I haven't heard that a million times over," Zed's head flies up, his eyes meeting hers.

"How dare—"

"Kelly Clarkson, Imagine Dragons—"

"Those are both uplifting songs! I play those all the time and you've dropped some notes on Thunder before Addy and don't even  _try_  to say otherwise!" Addison sighs, caught there. But she fights back with the same will as a small army.

"The rest of it is all dance—"

_Are you really complaining?_  Her brain asks and no, she isn't because watching Zed dance is just  _so_ —

"—which doesn't even count." The smirk's long gone from Zed's lips. Long gone. There's a few moments of silence and then out of nowhere Zed makes his move, attacking her playlist for all it's worth.

"You have Justin Bieber on your playlist!"

"So do you," Addison says, defensive.

"I have  _2015_  Justin Bieber on my list. There is a huge difference between 2015 Biebs and 'baby, baby oh' Biebs—"

"You're still listening to Justin Bieber," she points out.

Zed continues on, unfazed. "Well what's with you having all these Disney alums on your list, huh? You got Sofia Carson, Sabrina Carpenter  _and_  Hilary Duff who isn't even—"

"Zed if you talk bad about Hilary Duff I'm breaking up with you right here, I swear—"

Their noses are nearly touching they're so close. Zed lowers his voice, "I'm going to say what I want about Hilary Duff because you already came after Smash Mouth and no one, I repeat no one, is allowed to come after All Star so if anything I should be breaking up with you for you daring to shame such a classic jam!"

Addison doesn't back down. "You have Bamm on your playlist! How many times are going to play that in your zombie lifetime?" Zed looks like he's been shot at pointblank range, his face crumpling like a child's would after being told no.

"As many as I want to!" He stammers, struggling for a comeback. "You . . . you have Someday on yours! And I know for a fact that you listen to that every day during math class when we're doing our warm-ups." When Zed stops talking, there's nothing but silence between them. Addison seems to be at a loss for words.

"I love Someday," she finally says, firm, and yet her tone still wavers.

Zed feels the competition drain out of him. Something told him this wasn't a humorous, poking-fun-at-each-other fight anymore. Something told him he struck a chord he shouldn't have. He swallows past the lump that's unexpectedly formed in his throat.

"I love Someday too."

Addison turns away without another word and takes a seat back on the couch. Zed hesitates for a few seconds before joining her, keeping a safe distance between them, a visible gap separating them. He didn't mean to go too far. He'd never go too far on purpose. Ever.

A different cooking show is on now and the host of this one is a plump man with a black fedora on his head, angled to one side. He's demonstrating how to cut a raw chicken breast correctly when Zed feels a weight on his chest. He looks down from the TV to see Addison nestled up against his side, one of her hands resting where his heart should be.

Slowly, Zed wraps his arm around her and tugs her closer, gentle as anything. Addison doesn't reject the action and Zed takes that as a small success. There's an  _I'm sorry_ sitting like a rock on his insides. He can't seem to get it out.

"I hate you," she mumbles from his chest and he holds back a laugh and smiles, pressing a kiss to her hairline as he pulls her closer to his chest reflexively.

"I hate you too hon," he mumbles back.

Neither of their words hold any irritation or hatred.

They're just . . . simple. Plain, voiced with the same tone you would use to address a random passerby. They don't really hate each other. They didn't hate each other, not really. They could never hate each other. A stupid little bickering match turned into a semi-fight wasn't going to hinder what they shared with each other. They loved each other. Their love couldn't be doubted. Nothing, not even an argument about music preferences, was going to change that.

If anything, it just made them stronger.

As they settle back against the couch, Addison toying with both of Zed's limp hands, Zed leaning down and peppering kisses all over her cheeks, their previous dispute is quickly forgotten. Soon it's Addison's hands moving through his green hair and Zed's hands running over her bare skin and whispered  _I love you's_  in the late afternoon light.

They might dislike each other's playlists. They'll never dislike each other.


	9. Dancing in the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zombietown loses power while Zed and Addison are babysitting Zoey. Shenanigans ensue in the dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to keep this around 2,000 words but, obviously, that didn't happen. Fluffy little one-shot with only a little bit of serious undertones thrown in because I couldn't resist. And because Zed worries too much. Enjoy!
> 
> Oh and quick little poll/two questions for you guys:  
> Do we have an official age for Zoey?  
> And is Puppy a boy or a girl?
> 
> ///
> 
> Prompt:  
> None.
> 
> Genre: Romance and Family  
> Rating: PG

**9**   
**Dancing in the Dark**

 

"And the winner of the million dollar grand prize is—"

The TV shuts off unexpectedly, along with the rest of the electric in the house, shrouding the two zombies and single human sandwiched on the couch in complete darkness.

"No!" Zed groans, dragging his hands down his face.

His voice echoes through the now noiseless home, bouncing off the walls and resounding upstairs. It's a shout loud enough to scare Puppy from her spot on Zoey's lap and she cowers, butting her wet nose into the girl's wrist. Addison reaches over and blindly fumbles for Puppy, feeling successful when she locates the bunches of tangled fur that tell her she found her head.

She scratches behind her ears and the dog calms but still begins to pant, showing her uneasiness about the whole situation. "Zed?" Zoey asks, tone hitched with abrupt fear and Addison hears some shuffling from his end of the couch.

Up until now, the night had been going good so far.

Definitely the best babysitting job Addison's ever had.

Zevon had to go back to work for a few hours that night to make up for the time he had missed when Zoey had a cold last week and Zed was the one who had come up with the idea to invite Addison over for some assistance with watching Zoey. Of course he was completely capable with watching her himself, he's done it more times than he could count, but it had been a while since the two girls had seen each other and hey, the more the merrier.

Zoey was onboard with the idea straightaway and after checking with his father ("No funny business Zed, you hear me? I understand you're two teenagers with urges—"

"I got it, Dad! I got it. No funny business. I promise."), he had called his girlfriend up and asked if she wanted to join him for a night in. She had accepted the offer happily and a few hours later she had arrived in Zombietown with a box of cheesy pizza, much to the two zombies' excitement.

After the three had finished off their impromptu dinner—Zoey had eaten more pizza than Zed, to Addison's complete surprise—they had played some games together.

Zoey won every game of charades, Addison kicked Zed's butt in Sorry even though she was missing two of her playing pieces, Zoey dominated in Mouse Trap and Zed wiped the floor with both girls in Disney Monopoly. And in the quick game of Life Zed and Addison played while Zoey was in the bathroom—Zed ended up with a husband, four kids, two cats and bragging rights because he somehow  _won_.

Addison didn't think of herself as a sore loser . . . but after that win she gave Zed the silent treatment for about thirty minutes until he had trapped her in the kitchen between his chest and the wall and tickled her senseless until she finally gave in and started talking to him again.

They had only been watching TV for about fifteen minutes, Zed on the far side of the couch, Zoey in the middle with Puppy and Zander in her lap and Addison on her other side—who knew Zed was so into game shows—and now the power was out; right before they had announced the winner of the show, to Zed's displeasure.

"I'm right here sis," Zed voices as he reaches an arm out and squeezes her shoulder reassuringly before standing from the couch and stretching. Addison suddenly remembers Zed telling her that Zoey wasn't too fond of the dark and she feels her heart pull as she rests her own hand over top Zoey's, whose own is clutching Zander as tight as she can.

Addison watches Zed's shadowy outline move towards the hallway and look around the rest of the house before turning back to face the couch. "I'm gonna go and check the breaker. Zoey," and his tone takes on a softness he only uses when addressing his little sister, "I'll be right back, okay?"

Zoey takes a long second to answer. "Okay." Zed smiles, though no one can see it. He makes his way to the front door and exits the house, closing the door softly behind him and leaving Addison and Zoey alone.

Addison feels Zoey trembling after about a minute of silence and she instantly goes to work trying to think of something to do to distract her from the infinite darkness surrounding them. "Hey Zoey," she asks, gentle, "what do you think about scaring your brother when he comes back in?"

Puppy cocks her head to the side at the proposal and Zoey seems to forget about how scared she is of the dark because the amount of enthusiasm in her voice when she tells Addison "Yes!" is staggering but Addison just grins and accepts her answer without complaint.

"Alright. We have to hurry. Where's the best place to hide?"

Meanwhile, outside Zed curses himself for not grabbing a flashlight on the way out of the house because though he might know this place like the back of his hand he definitely doesn't know the circuit breaker as well.

He's able to get it open but what to do next is his biggest issue. He squints, trying to see if he can read anything, but it's useless. Everything in Zombietown is out and there's no above-head lights to assist him in his mission so with a resigned sigh and a shrug of his shoulders he flips each switch off and then on again.

After going through every one and finding that the house is still without power he closes the breaker and begins to make his way back around front. The entire power grid for Zombietown must be out if the whole town's dark and he just hopes it's nothing big. Thinking of what the humans have done in the past to zombies sends a shudder through his body and a shiver down his spine. They weren't that cruel anymore—they were above messing with the power . . . weren't they?

Him and Addison . . . changed things, didn't they?

Zed shoves the thoughts to the back of his mind.

The humans weren't messing with the power. That was ludicrous. It had been . . . maybe nine months since they had last messed with Zombietown's power. It was too long of a gap. In the past, at most they would wait three weeks tops before messing with something again.

He enters the house, putting a stop to his previous thoughts and instead filling in Addison and Zoey as he shuts and locks the front door. "It looks like the whole town is out but I don't think it'll be out for long. We'll light some candles and this place will be lit in no time." He chuckles at his own joke as he turns around, "Addy can you find—Addy? Zoey?"

He moves into the living room and when he doesn't see, or hear, anything panic coils in his gut. He tries to pacify the feeling as he starts to make his way through the house, calling their names as he goes. He needs to chill out. Nothing bad could've happened to them.

Humans didn't dare come into Zombietown when the lights were on so they wouldn't step anywhere near if the lights were off, they'd be too afraid. He knows for a fact that there's nothing dangerous in the house that the both of them could've gotten into. He knows he's being irrational but . . . he can't stop that fear from clawing at his insides.

The world has never been kind to zombies. He can't risk letting his guard down.

After searching all of the kitchen and poking his head into the bathroom just to check, he makes his way upstairs. The fifth step creaks as it always does when it's stepped on and he thinks he hears something to the right of him when he reaches the top of the stairs.

"Girls?" He calls suspiciously, turning his head when he hears something that sounds like stifled laughter from the coat closet a few feet away. He carefully advances, avoiding the small hole in the floor and the rotted wood after, and then his hand is on the door handle.

He hears a sharp  _shh!_  as he begins to turn it and then grins before ripping the door open. "No one can hide from Zed the Zombie!" He says with a playful growl as he raises his arms like a zombie would but then his eyes focus and he realizes that there's no one in the closet.

"Boo!"

"Shi— _itake_ mushrooms!"

Zed barely catches the curse as it flies out of his mouth.

He must jump twenty feet in the air when the smaller pair of hands tug at the back of his tee-shirt and then another five feet when a second pair of hands pull him backwards. It scares him shitless, to put it bluntly, and when he turns around to both of his girls laughing hysterically, his cheeks turn bright red and he's never been more thankful that the power was out in his undead life.

Puppy barks, wagging her tail and jumping at Zed's knees and Zed exhales, falling back against the wall. Zoey's still laughing when Addison grapples for the flashlight tucked in her jacket pocket and she flicks it on, white light illumining the otherwise deserted hallway.

She moves it upwards so the shine is equal to Zed's chest, enough for them to be able to see but not enough for it to blind him and the smile etched on her face is almost worth the scare. "I guess Zed the Zombie isn't so fearless after all," she teases, her words an homage to their song.

Zed reaches out and intertwines his hand with her empty one, pulling her closer. The metallic flashlight is the only barrier between their chests touching. "Nah," he says, playing along, "I'm just rooting for us." Her smile grows and Zed takes back his prior thought because yeah—that smile is definitely worth the scare.

He chuckles softly before bringing his head down, fully intending to go in for a kiss and his lips just brush against hers when Zoey distracts him by pulling on the corner of his shirt's hem.

Addison takes a step back so Zoey can reach her brother and when Zed glances over at her she doesn't look mad at all. If anything, she looks proud and the smile on her face seems to have only grown more. Zed picks his sister up with an exaggerated grunt, holding her so that she's facing him, her tiny tummy pressed against his upper chest.

"We got you!" The six-year-old giggles and Zed groans, dropping his head so that his forehead gently rests against hers.

"You got me," he echoes in defeat, poking at her side and making her squirm. He hears Addison chuckle, the beam of light shaking because of the action. "Where were you guys hiding? I could've swore you two were in the closet." Zed lifts his head and sees the smile on his sister's face, the still-steady grin on Addison's.

"We were in your room behind the door!"

"Zoey came up with it all herself," Addison adds, "she said you would think we were in the coat closet. She was right."

"Betrayed by my own little sister," Zed says slowly, and then he roars and starts to tickle her. Puppy's barking from the floor, nipping at Zed's ankles in an attempt to protect her owner and Addison doesn't intervene until Zoey asks her to.

"Addy! Help! The zombie's got me!"

Addison props the flashlight on the floor, facing it towards where Zed's standing so that she can see what she's doing, and then goes in for the assist. She's able to get Zoey away from Zed with only a little bit of struggle and a lot of laughing, and once Zoey is free and Zed instead has Addison around the waist, the young zombie grabs the flashlight from the floor and takes off down the hallway, Puppy following behind her.

She runs into her father's room, giggling the whole way, and shuts the door, jumping on the bed and hiding under the tattered blankets, leaving Zed and Addison in complete darkness.

Zed's breathing heavy, mouth right by her ear, and his arms are  _warm_  around her . . . or maybe that's just her. "Wow," he comments breathlessly, holding back a laugh, "she left you to the zombie." Addison smiles as he rests his chin on her shoulder.

"Well you aren't going to eat my brains, are you?"

Zed pretends to think it over, "Hmm, I don't know. You do look pretty delicious . . . "

She doesn't miss a beat. "No, no. I think you mean gorgeous."

Zed does chuckle this time, turning and pressing a kiss to her neck. "You're stunning, Addy." He whispers, tone deep and honest as anything, "Absolutely stunning." Then, as if he's reading her thoughts, "And no, I don't need a light to be able to see it, because I know. I know that it's true. Inside and out." Addison feels her cheeks heat up.

The amount of compliments he showers her with on a weekly basis is always shocking to her. She's never known someone so . . . nice. She's never known someone so caring, so truthful, so courageous, so determined to show and tell everyone he loves just how much he loves them. He never ceases to amaze her.

"I love you." She blurts, trying to convey how vastly grateful she is to have him, as her best friend and as her boyfriend, through her words. "I love you, so,  _so_  much. I know we're young and I know people will say it's not possible to love someone as much as I do but . . . I do; and I will love you, always and forever." Zed's chest heaves suddenly and Addison wishes the lights were on so she could know why.

Is he . . . holding back tears? Does he not feel the same way? Did she just mess this whole thing up?

But then he carefully spins her around so he can kiss her and her doubts are taken away, along with her breath. One of his hands comes up to cup one of her cheeks and when he pulls back Addison feels like she's on cloud nine.

"I love you too," he murmurs, resting his forehead against hers. "Always and forever."

They stay like that for a little while longer, until they hear Puppy's bark and Zoey's loud scold of "Puppy, shh!" travel down the hallway and reach them. If they could share a look, they would. Instead, Zed pulls back, standing up straight. His hands find her waist so that he can still hold her in some way. "Zoey's gonna regret leaving you to a zombie."

Addison's eyebrows knit together in confusion, "What—?"

He raises his voice so that it's loud enough for Zoey to hear. "Because now there's  _two_  zombies! Where did that little brat go?" His words are full of nothing but affection, "Any idea, Zombie Two?" Addison rolls her eyes, her mind instantly going to the Thing One and Thing Two reference he's referring to.

"Really?" She whispers, "Zombie One and Zombie Two?"

"It was the best I could think of!" Zed whispers back.

It takes everything within Addison not to laugh.

She raises her voice, "I think our meal went into that bedroom!"

When they enter the bedroom and find Zoey hidden under the blankets with Puppy and the flashlight, they raise their arms menacingly before double-teaming her. Puppy comes to her protection, going after Zed as Addison grabs the flashlight before someone gets hurt (because Zed's managed worse injuries before from simpler things) and Puppy tugs at his sleeve as he growls and lunges, blowing a raspberry against the bare skin of his sister's arm.

They play 'Zombie' for about an hour and once they all become tired and Zoey, begrudgingly, admits defeat they head downstairs and brighten the house up—literally. Zed lights some candles as Zoey gathers a bunch of blankets from her room and Addison makes them some bowls of ice-cream as she works on getting Zed's iPhone to download Netflix in the kitchen.

When they all meet back at the couch, they get settled; Zed against the arm of the couch, Addison shoulder-to-shoulder next to him and Zoey squeezed in-between them, each with a bowl of ice-cream (that's not vanilla) in their hands. Zed's iPhone is supported against a stack of books on the coffee table in front of them playing the beginning credits of Moana and Puppy is on the floor busy devouring her own bowl of ice-cream as the three dig into their own desserts.

An hour and forty-seven minutes later, the power is still out and Zoey's asleep, curled across Zed's lap. As Zed carries her, and Zander, upstairs to bed, Addison grabs his phone and checks the time before starting up another movie (How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days) and looking around the living room.

Puppy's asleep on her dog bed in the corner of the room and Addison knows once she wakes up she'll waddle upstairs and join Zoey on hers because you couldn't separate those two no matter what. Zed's dad still wasn't back yet, even with the time slowly inching towards nearly ten-thirty. Zed returns downstairs less than five minutes later, smiling at his girlfriend's movie choice as he starts to tidy up a little bit.

Something makes Zed's living room romantic, Addison realizes as her boyfriend moves around the room. Maybe it's the candles scattered from the front door to the couch, giving the room a soft glow. Maybe it's the way the light bounces off Zed's cheek and the shadow it gives his nose.

Something makes Zed's living room romantic and Addison finds herself unable to look away from the zombie cleaning up in front of her. "Addison?" He questions when he turns and sees her staring, a neatly folded blanket cradled in one arm. His voice brings Addison out of her thoughts.

"Yeah?"

His lips fit into a concerned smile, "You okay?"

"Of course," Addison says a little too quickly from her spot on the couch, nodding along, "I was just thinking about some . . . things." Zed drops the folded blanket on the back of the couch and takes a seat next to her, curious.

"About what?"

Don't say the candles make the room look romantic.

Don't say the candles make the room look romantic.

Don't say—

"I just . . . think the candles really make the room look romantic."

If Addison's brain could groan, it would.

Zed shifts his body towards her so that he's fully facing her. "Oh yeah?" He asks, quietly. Addison doesn't trust herself to speak so she nods instead. "Zoey's asleep," he says nonchalantly, though the eagerness in his face betrays him. He knows where this is going . . . if Addison's okay with it, of course.

Addison smiles and moves closer so that their faces are a few inches apart. "Are you sure?"

"That kid could sleep through a tornado," he affirms and he can't wait any longer as he closes the distance between them, cupping one of her cheeks as he goes, and his passionate kiss causes the butterflies stewing in her stomach to flutter wild.

When Zevon walks in on the two teens about twenty minutes later, they have a lot of explaining to do.


	10. A Zombie, Yet a Charmer [Celebrity AU]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It starts with an Instagram post; it ends with something-more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ///
> 
> Prompt:  
> None.  
> Notes:  
> Celebrity AU - Part 2
> 
> Genre: Romance, Friendship and some Humor  
> Rating: PG (for language mostly)

  **10**  
**a zombie, yet a charmer**

 

* * *

O

_addison.smith, elizzza, and 355 others liked your post._

O

* * *

"Who's Addison Smith?"

Zed freezes mid dance move and side-eyes Bonzo who shakes his head rapidly from his spot on a stool behind the kitchen bar. Eliza glances up from her cell phone, narrowing her eyes when neither of the boys answer.

"Are you two hiding something from me?" She questions, her suspicion mounting. Bonzo shakes his head again and lifts his soda can to his lips, taking a large gulp, leaving Zed at Eliza's mercy as he pauses the one-hit-wonder that was blaring through the villa.

Eliza was pretty dense when it came to social media, preferring to DJ the parties rather than post about them, and Zed had been betting on her pure obliviousness to save him from having to admit to her, his best friend of five years who seemed to know him better than he knew himself sometimes, that he had a crush on a girl he had yet to meet in person.

It had taken Bonzo a little over a month to convince Zed that it wasn't crazy to have a crush like this—so true, so deep, so sure—so fast and he had really thought he had a little bit longer before Eliza found out. (A few years. He was hoping for a few years to pass before he had to come clean.)

It wasn't that she would be callous about it or anything like that. She would tease but that was natural to her personality and she would offer advice like any good friend would; what Zed was most worried about was what her most humble, honest opinion of the whole situation would be.

Eliza, behind his father, younger sister and his dog Puppy, was his biggest supporter.

What she thought mattered to him, for better or for worse, and he knew this whole thing with Addison was crazy . . . so he was just worried Eliza wouldn't agree with this thing. At all. Though she was good at hiding it on the outside, Eliza was a very by-the-books type of person, which was quite ironic considering her day job was essentially throwing non-stop parties and Zed was sure telling her about this . . .  _thing_  he had with Addison wasn't going to land him in her good graces.

Well, Zed muses as he clears his throat and finally opens his mouth to confess the truth to Eliza, at least he was able to keep this thing he had with Addison under wraps long enough to reach the fourth month mark. "She's—"

Luckily—unluckily?—Eliza cuts him off before he can even start to disclose anything. When he looks up from staring guiltily at his shoes, Eliza's nose is buried in her phone as she reads from, what he assumes, is Addison's Wikipedia page.

"Addison Marie Smith is an actress and model currently residing in Los Angeles, California. Addison Smith is most known for her various jobs in modeling. Her photos have ended up in magazines like Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Teen Vogue, and Seventeen. She's also made a name for herself in the acting genre quite fast considering she's new to the acting game, having landed roles in multiple television shows and web shorts all within her first two years as an actress. Addison has also expressed an interest in music, but nothing has yet to be released."

Eliza goes quiet as she scrolls further down the page. Zed and Bonzo look nervously between each other. This could end in one of two ways. Either Eliza is going to be happy with the information she gathers, or she's going to grill them for more. Both teens hope it turns out to be the former.

"Addison's current projects include her first big break in a major motion picture—Poms—as the leading role, and as a guest star on new TV show Get Well Soon. Get Well Soon is set to premiere later this year, and it is unknown how many episodes Addison will star in. In Poms, Addison plays as a cheerleader struggling to fit in and be as perfect as possible for the tiny town of Pierson City, where the rules are that if you aren't perfect, you aren't allowed. This would be easy for her to do, if not for the dark secret she's been hiding all her life, and her freshman year at Pierson High might just be enough for that secret to come out. Poms is in post-production and is set to release June 27th, 2018."

Eliza didn't need to read that part out loud. Zed already knew the date like the back of his hand, and he was already trying to come up with some amazing way to ask Addison out to see it. Though the fact that he still didn't know her in person had put a stop to that idea for now . . .

"Addison is an only child and is very close to her best friend—singer Bree Simmons—who is also set to release her own clothing line next year; the two girls grew up and found stardom together. Addison supports equal rights movements and has donated to over twenty different charities across the globe." When Eliza finishes, Bonzo takes another sip of his soda. He's hoping that having his mouth full of soda will deter her from interrogating him specifically.

"She's cute," Eliza remarks a little too knowingly after about a minute of sheer silence and Bonzo feels like she already knows. Zed's a little more oblivious.

"You could say that."

Bonzo releases the breath he didn't even know he was holding. At least Zed was smart enough to not call Addison pretty in front of Eliza because that would've sure as _hell_  given him away. Once Zed compliments Addison, there's no stopping that thought process. (Bonzo's gotten nothing but earfuls of it since Zed became smitten with her.)

Eliza clicks the lock button on her phone and drops it on her lap, pining Zed with a potent stare.

"Spill it, Z." She finally says, leaning back on the recliner and crossing her arms. "How long have you been talking with this girl?"

Zed gapes like a fish pulled out of water; hook, line and sinker.

Bonzo sighs—the gig's up. Damn. It takes Zed a few dazed moments to respond. "Almost four and a half months," he admits as he takes a seat on the coffee table separating them, fumbling with his hands. "What gave it away?"

Eliza allows a smile to cross her lips, "You weren't surprised when I was reading her bio," she says, her tone knowing, "and you smiled when I mentioned the premiere date of her movie."

"I did?" Zed asks, looking over at Bonzo for confirmation.

The other boy just shrugs, unsure himself. He wasn't paying  _that_  much attention. Eliza sighs, pressing the palms of her hands to her eyes and rubbing. "I was watching you the whole time Zed," she states, voice muffled by her hands, "you're so easy to read." Pulling her hands back, "I can't believe you hid this from me for  _four_ months. Why, Z?"

One of his legs is bouncing up and down and he shrugs at the question, exhaling. "I was—worried."

Confusion covers Eliza's face, "Worried? Worried about what?"

Zed finally meets her piercing gaze, "I was worried about what you would think . . . worried you were going to tell me to find someone different or something stupid like that." Eliza's quiet for a long moment.

"Well  _you_  are stupid if you thought I was going to tell you to 'find somebody different'. Zed, I'm only tough on you and your nonexistent love life because I just want you happy. Apparently you misunderstood my tough love . . . don't ever think I won't support you. I will always support you in something like this. Obviously, or not as obviously to me, this girl makes you happy and that's all I want for you, Z."

Eliza pauses, debating on if she should say her next words or not. "I'm hurt you didn't tell me."

Zed smiles and shakes his head before standing up and walking over to Eliza, holding out a hand. "Apology ice-cream on me?" Eliza glances from his outstretched hand to his remorseful expression. "Nothing vanilla, I promise. Everything chocolate." He swears, and it's enough for her to take his hand.

He pulls her up from the chair and Eliza pulls her hand back as soon as she's standing. "Love you E," he says as the three of them head towards the front door and Eliza just rolls her eyes.

"Love you too, stupid." But her words betray her because they don't hold any hate, only fondness.

Zed decides not to point that out.

* * *

_zed-the-zombie posted a photo._  
[Zed, Eliza and Bonzo sitting around a table with massive amounts of chocolate ice-cream waiting to be eaten.]  
zed-the-zombie: i would say we're the three musketeers but Eliza despises that reference more than she despises me.

[5m] addison.smith: but aren't you still making the reference by saying that?  
[4m] zed-the-zombie: …  
[3m] addison.smith: @elizzza  
[2m] zed-the-zombie: i'm in shock right now  
[2m] zed-the-zombie: did you really just  
[1m] zed-the-zombie: TAG HER are you trying to get me killed?

_addison.smith liked your comment._

[2s] elizzza: HA I like this girl already.

O

_zed-the-zombie posted a photo._  
[Zed holding up an oatmeal cookie that's the size of his face.]  
zed-the-zombie: my life is complete

[8m] addison.smith: oh my god. you're bringing me one, right?  
[4m] zed-the-zombie: of course, babe.  
[3m] zed-the-zombie: anything for you

O

—Instagram Direct Messaging—  
_To: zed-the-zombie_

addison.smith: I thought we were past the 'babe' nickname  
zed-the-zombie: whoever said that?  
addison.smith: you. me. us  
addison.smith: we had a whole conversation about it, zombie  
zed-the-zombie: i recall no such conversation, babe.

* * *

Some nights Zed can't sleep and he finds himself wandering to Addison's Instagram profile.

**addison.smith**  
_1,011 pictures_  
_86k followers  
_ _99 following_

Looking through her beautiful pictures always makes him smile, and the more he flicks through, the sleepier he gets. He's asked Bonzo if it's stalker-ish, to fall asleep looking through a girl's online pictures, but his friend had just smiled and shook his head at the question.

Her earlier pictures are mostly of her mom and dad; Mom gardening in the backyard and picking out the brightest roses, multiple pictures of her dad dressed up in a crisp tuxedo for some white-collar event with his hair smoothed back and silver wedding band bright as ever against the dark contrast of his black suit and tie. There's even more pictures of her and Bree, so many that it's like a maze trying to get through them, and then there's the scenery pictures.

A close-up of a blue lily blooming in the early morning. A wide-shot of the sky's pink horizon with the caption  _tomorrow's another day_. A group photo of her, Bucky and Bree with the words  _besties_  stapled underneath. And for such a skinny girl she has a lot of pictures of food but all they do is make Zed's soft smile pull into an all-out grin.

His favorite pictures, though, are the ones of her.

Every single one, no matter what angle it's from, who takes it or what she's doing—every single one is breath-taking. Every single one makes his heart pound just a little faster. He can't wait to meet her in person.

Someday, he thinks as he stares at a photo of Addison (that she—at the time—clearly had no idea was being taken) lounged on a couch, her blonde hair pulled into a messy bun, number two pencil between her lips, laptop balanced on one leg while an open notebook full of scrawled notes is on resting on the other. She doesn't have any makeup on and she's wearing the baggiest sweatshirt Zed's ever seen.

It's Zed's favorite picture.

Because in this picture, there's no celebrity.

In this picture, it's just Addison. Not Addison Smith or Addison Smith the actress or Addison Smith the model or addison-smith from Instagram.

No, in this picture it's just . . . Addy.

In this picture, it's just Addy and a hope of someday.

* * *

_addison.smith posted a photo._  
[Close-Up of Addison as she lifts a Starbucks mug to her lips.]

[1h] zed-the-zombie: you're literally addicted to starbucks  
[1h] zed-the-zombie: which literally makes you a cliché  
[20m] addison.smith: are you poking fun at my addiction?

_zed-the-zombie liked your comment._

[17m] zed-the-zombie: only a little bit

O

_addison.smith posted a photo._  
[Wide-Shot of Bucky giving Addison a side-hug on the beach, both with huge smiles on their faces.]  
addison.smith: my cuz bucky's the man

[22m] zed-the-zombie: looking beautiful as always, babe  
[16m] addison.smith: sometimes i think you say things just to get on my good side  
[10m] zed-the-zombie: me? never.  
[9m] ll bucky ll: zombie boy! put a ring on it already  
[7m] ll bucky ll: @zed-the-zombie  
[2m] addison.smith: i think you scared him away  
[49s] zed-the-zombie: so one oatmeal cookie and one diamond ring  
[30s] zed-the-zombie: anything else i can get for you, gorgeous?  
[1s] addison.smith: you

_zed-the-zombie liked your comment._

O

addison.smith:  
_elizzza started following you._

O

elizzza:  
_addison.smith started following you._

* * *

"You know she only lives two hours away from you?" Eliza comments offhandedly one day at lunch while picking the lettuce off her burger. Zed looks up from his own cheeseburger, confusion scribbled across his face.

"What?" Zed and Addison have been talking for about six months now. Phone calls, FaceTimes, direct messages, text messages, they've done it all. Their . . . friendship . . . is staying strong and Zed's crush is only growing.

Eliza successfully removes all of the lettuce and plops the toasted bun back on top of her burger with a semi-triumphant smile. "That Smith girl. Addison? I put some of my computer skills—"

"You mean hacking skills," Zed interrupts, not unkindly. Eliza shoots him a glare at the correction and then continues on, undeterred.

"—to the test and as it turns out she's not that far from here."

Zed avoids having to answer by taking a huge bite out of his burger and Eliza makes a disgusted face at the line of grease that dribbles from the corner of his mouth as he chews. She pulls a few brown paper napkins from the humongous pile beside her tray and throws them at him, Zed catching them midair with a half-smile. There was a reason she always asked for extra napkins whenever they went out to eat someplace.

"You sure do act like a zombie," she gripes as Zed rolls his eyes and returns his burger to the tray so he can wipe his mouth.

"You always say that, E." He replies dryly, grabbing a handful of French fries.

"Only because it's true." Eliza says matter-of-factly as she takes a small bite of her own meal.

Zed was one of the messiest eaters around. Actually—he  _was_  the messiest eater around. Eliza didn't know how he did it but during every meal, something ended up somewhere it wasn't supposed to be—grease down his chin, mustard on an expensive polo, mayo on his brand new jeans, ketchup by his forehead—you name it and Zed's done it. Somehow.

If she could she would put him in the world record book for 'most shirts ruined by food'.

"So why are you telling me this?" Zed asks after a few minutes of relaxed silence, his burger already seventy-five percent demolished. "Just because she lives  _kinda_  close by doesn't mean anything. It still couldn't ever work . . . I mean I haven't even met her in person yet, Eliza, and I like her! I like her and I shouldn't." He pauses, taking a long swig of his drink, "She could do a million times better than me. Like that guy she always takes pictures with, Bill? Buckley?"

"Bucky," Eliza corrects, "he's her cousin right?"

Zed nods, "Yeah. He knows a lot of people. A  _lot_  of people. He could hook her up with anyone she wanted."

He sighs, bringing his gaze down to his food, "She's gorgeous, Eliza. She's goddamn gorgeous. Why pick a guy with green hair when your good-looking cousin could hook you up with whatever guy you wanted to be with? She could do so much better than me."

Eliza's quiet for a long moment. "Okay."

She reaches a hand out and grabs one of his, squeezing. "Zed." He lifts his head, meeting her steely stare. "You're getting ahead of yourself here. First off, you have to stop thinking like this. Seriously. You're putting yourself down for no reason. Secondly; I think you need to meet this girl. ASAP. Everything will work itself out after you guys actually interact with each other— _in person_. You'll be able to feel each other out and you will definitely be able to see if she feels the same way you do."

Zed looks hopeful now and Eliza feels proud that she was able to get that speech out of herself without butchering it or saying the wrong thing. "You just need to meet her Z." She finishes, gently pulling her hand back. "Set a date or something. Okay?"

"I never knew you were so good with words," Zed proclaims after a minute and Eliza groans.

"Shut up," she grumbles halfheartedly making him laugh.

Zed finishes off his meal in the amount of time it takes Eliza to get through roughly half of her burger and as she lifts a fry to her lips and chews, she offers one final thought.

"I'm just saying that if things work out, you two could date. Two hours is nothing for love." She's teasing but she's also being serious and it makes Zed grin.

"Thanks E," He says quietly, yet sincerely, and Eliza hides her own smile behind the bun of her burger.

* * *

_zed-the-zombie posted a photo._  
[Screenshot of Addison and himself on FaceTime; Addison's laughing, mouth nearly wide open and Zed has a soft smile on his face as he looks into the phone camera.]  
zed-the-zombie: a girl and a zombie

_addison.smith, elizzza, bree-sings and 2,092 others liked your post._

[15m] addison.smith: i want to be mad but your timing is too perfect  
[13m] zed-the-zombie: i know  
[10m] zed-the-zombie: i'm great aren't i?  
[59s] addison.smith: no comment

O

_addison.smith posted a photo._  
[Screenshot of a blurb of iPhone text messages between her and Zed;  
'zed: what does it take to become a zombie?  
addison: i don't know, what?  
zed: DEADication  
zed: why didn't the zombie get the acting role?  
addison: why  
zed: they wanted someone more lively  
zed: hahah  
zed: get it?  
zed: …addy?']  
addison.smith: what do you call an annoying zombie?

[1m] addison.smith: answer—dead.  
[40s] zed-the-zombie: i'm more offended that you still haven't answered me  
[35s] zed-the-zombie: also if i'm a zombie then i'm technically already dead…  
[20s] zed-the-zombie: but you do you  
[13s] zed-the-zombie: love you!  
[2s] zed-the-zombie: please don't kill me.

O

New Text Message from  _Addy_  
Addy: smartass

* * *

"Thank you," Addison says as she trades a ten dollar bill for her large to-go Starbucks hot chocolate with extra chocolate, "keep the change." The barista looks pleasantly surprised as she takes the money and the expression on her face makes Addison smile as she turns away from the counter.

Hot chocolate to help calm her nerves before her big audition, check.

As she exits the shop she checks her emails and the time, which she still has plenty of, and begins to make her way down the street, avoiding distracted businessmen and annoyed college kids as she goes.

Her parents had offered to drive her to her audition but after they had been driving all morning she had declined, telling them she wanted to stop at a Starbucks and mosey through the town a little beforehand. It wasn't much different from where she was living but the—albeit small—change in scenery was nice.

Her phone chimes and Addison glances down, a smile appearing on her face once she sees who it is texting her.

zed: hey gorgeous  
zed: how much longer until your audition?

They just passed the nine month mark last week. She still can't believe they've been talking with each other for that long. It's insane . . . but a good kind of insane, if there even is one. She looks up to make sure she isn't going to run into anyone before looking back down and typing out a quick reply.

addison: hey zombie. not too long now.  
addison: i'm nervous  
addison: what if i mess up?

Addison's careful in checking both ways before crossing the street intersection and Zed texts back almost immediately, his words soothing the anxious storm raging in her gut.

zed: you aren't going to.  
zed: you're going to do amazing, addy. a-maz-ing.

Without any warning, Addison suddenly rams into someone full force. She gasps, expecting to fall, and if the person wasn't so steady on their feet they both would've, but he catches himself and then her with a warm hand on her upper arm. Addison looks up from her phone, an apology already tumbling from her lips. "I am  _so_  sorry, I wasn't paying attention and—"

Green hair.

The stranger has green hair that's attractively messy on top of his head and kind eyes, an even kinder smile. His iPhone case is black with neon green stripes—she's seen that before—and he's wearing a grey sweatshirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing a black band on his left wrist with a metal twist in the middle and she's seen that before too.

He's tall, extremely tall he  _towers_  over her like a building would, and he's skinny but his tan arms have some lean muscle to them and his sweatpants have a Nike swoosh down the side and she also recognizes his shoes—

And it's with a sudden burst of butterflies in her stomach and a skip in her heartbeat that Addison realizes this stranger isn't a stranger at all.

"Oh my God. Zed?"

Zed's eyes are widened but the shock is already faded and when he hears her voice his face seems to light up and he's already tucking his phone into his pocket and reaching out for her for a hug when her name sneaks past his lips in a whisper. "Addy."

A watery chuckle escapes her as he winds his arms around her and she doesn't waste a second in hugging him back. Her own arms wrap around his neck and he laughs too. "Holy crap," he breathes out with another laugh, " _holy_  crap. You're here."

"Charming," she teases softly and then, "yeah. I'm here."

Zed just laughs again in answer and this time his laugh sounds watery too.

"Miss me, zombie?" She questions in a whisper when the silence stretches on for too long and he just holds her tighter in response.

"Always."


End file.
